OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) — Federal immigration agents arrested four people at the Douglas County Courthouse on Monday morning, preventing them from appearing at their scheduled criminal hearings.
Three of the defendants were facing DUI charges, and one was charged with hit and run, according to defense attorney Robert Larsen.
Larsen said his client had worked out a plea deal and was ready to proceed with the hearing when ICE agents detained him seven minutes before the scheduled start time.
“I stepped out into the courthouse lobby and spotted him all the way across the way by the front door. It appeared he was being detained. I went over to them, and one of the officers confirmed that he was with ICE,” Larsen said.
When Larsen returned to the courtroom and explained the situation to the judge, his request to postpone the hearing was denied.
“I was told that the procedure the courts are using right now is to deny the motion to continue and put out a warrant for my client’s arrest. If you look at the court records, it’ll show that my client failed to appear, and a warrant was put out. The judge was aware that my client had been physically present, and the reason he wasn’t in court was that he had been detained by ICE,” Larsen said.
The client is now in federal custody and being taken to the federal detention center in McCook.
ICE agents also detained people at the same courthouse five days ago. Douglas County Sheriff Aaron Hanson addressed online comments, saying his office had no involvement in the arrests.
“We have an obligation to be present and be in the area, because we’ve seen around the country where these interactions with federal agents can become chaotic and dangerous. We want to make sure we are there to keep the peace and maintain the tranquility of the courthouse and keep everyone safe,” Hanson said.
Hanson said these operations are not daily but are not uncommon, and his deputies will continue to be present to keep them peaceful.
Larsen said the experience changes how he will prepare other clients.
“I feel like I have an obligation to just let them know that this is a possibility and something that they need to be prepared for, since now I’ve seen it, and obviously we’ve seen it in other cities as well,” Larsen said.
Larsen said this was the first time he personally witnessed ICE detaining someone at the courthouse, though he has been told it happens occasionally.
The attorney said they will address the immigration detention first, then try to get a new court date for the criminal charges.
