MIGRANTS AS THEY LOOK TO FILL THOUSANDS OF JOBS.
JULIA AINSLEY HAS OUR
REPORT.
>> Reporter: IN MAJOR
CITIES ACROSS AMERICA,
OFFICIALS SAY THEY’VE
REACHED A BREAKING
POINT.
STRUGGLING TO HANDLE
THE RECORD NUMBER OF
ARRIVING MIGRANTS.
BUT HERE IN SMALL TOWN
FREMONT, NEBRASKA,
WHERE THERE ARE JUST
39 WORKERS FOR EVERY
100 JOB OPENINGS SOME
ARE ENCOURAGING MORE
MIGRANTS TO COME.
>> WE NEED THE PEOPLE.
WE NEED THIS WORK
DONE.
>> Reporter: MANY OF
THE OPENINGS ARE AT
THIS HALF BILLION
DOLLAR CHICKEN PLANT
OPENED IN 2019.
YOUNG LOCALS OFTEN
MOVE AWAY LEAVING
THOSE SLAUGHTERHOUSE
JOBS TO MIGRANTS LIKE
VICENTE HERNANDEZ.
WITH HISPANIC MIGRANTS
ALTHOUGH IT IS HARD,
ALTHOUGH IT IS HEAVY,
THEY ENDURE, HE SAYS.
THE DIFFERENCE WITH AN
AMERICAN CITIZEN IS
THAT EVERY TIME HE
FINDS A JOB WHEN HE
SEES THAT IT’S HARD,
HE LEAVES IT, HE SAYS.
HERNANDEZ AND HIS WIFE
ARE ALSO PASTORS TO
THE GROWING GUATEMALAN
COMMUNITY.
♪
ONCE THIS TOWN OF
27,000 WAS NEARLY ALL
WHITE.
NOW ONE OUT OF SIX ARE
LATINO.
SINCE 2018.
THE SCHOOL DISTRICT
ADDED ALMOST 800
NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING
STUDENTS.
MEATPACKING IS THE
BIGGEST INDUSTRY HERE.
THE STATE’S CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE SAYS NEBRASKA
NEEDS TO WELCOME MORE
MIGRANTS TO FILL JOBS
LIKE THESE BUT SOME
RESIDENTS ARE
RESISTANT.
VOTERS BACKED A TOWN
ORDINANCE WHICH SAYS
LOCALS MUST TELL THEM
THEY’RE HERE LEGALLY
BEFORE THEY CAN RENT
HOUSING.
THE CITY CANNOT ALWAYS
VERIFY THE INFORMATION
BUT PEOPLE SAY THE LAW
REMAINS ON THE BOOK TO
SEND A MESSAGE.
THIS COUNCILMAN
SUPPORTS IT.
>> WHY WAS IT BROUGHT
UP?
>> CITIZENS ASKED US
TO DO SOMETHING.
>> Reporter: HE ARGUES
SLAUGHTERHOUSES PAYING
LOW WAGES TO MIGRANTS
LOWERS INCOMES FOR
CITIZENS AND
CRITICIZES INCREASED
CALLS FOR MIGRANT
CHILDREN AT LOCAL
SCHOOLS.
>> THE SHEER PRESSURE
OF BRINGING IN NUMBERS
OF PEOPLE HAS RESULTED
IN A CONSIDERABLE
BURDEN TO THE
TAXPAYERS.
>> Reporter: BUT CITY
COUNCILMAN MARK JENSEN
WHO LIVED HERE SINCE
HE WAS 10 IS AGAINST
THAT ORDINANCE.
>> IT’S A BAD LOOK FOR
OUR CITY.
>> Reporter: AND HE
SAYS FREMO.
THIS T NEEDS TO
EMBRACE CHANGE.
>> A LOT WHO LIVED AND
GREW UP HERE DON’T
STAY.
THEY MOVE OUT.
IT’S CRITICAL FOR US
TO HAVE THE PEOPLE
THAT WE’VE GOT HERE.
>> Reporter: BACK AT
THE SEARCH VICENTE
TELLS US HE REGULARLY
GETS THREE HOURS OF
SHEEP A NIGHT BUT
STILL HE AND HIS WIFE
MARIA SAY THEY FOUND
THEIR NEW HOMETOWN.
"NOW I LIVE THE
AMERICAN DREAM," AS
THEY CALL IT.
"I’M HAPPY BECAUSE I
HAVE EVERYTHING" SHE
TELLS US.
>> Reporter: STATE
OFFICIALS OFTEN HAVE
PROBLEMS WITH WORKERS