Deportation hearings will be held next week in Omaha, officials said.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Tim Counts said 43 workers were from Mexico, four were from Guatemala, three from Honduras and one from El Salvador.

Counts said all but two of the workers were detained in nearby city and county jails. A woman with child care issues and a juvenile were allowed to go home on their promises to appear at their hearings.

No DeCoster management employees were arrested.

Counts said the raid was a follow-up to a 2003 action against Austin "Jack" DeCoster, the company's owner, who pleaded guilty in federal court in Sioux City to two counts of aiding and abetting the continued employment of illegal immigrants.

About 100 illegal immigrants were arrested in earlier raids at the egg processing and packing plants operated by DeCoster.

As part of the plea bargain, DeCoster agreed to a five-year compliance program that allows immigration and customs officers access to his company's personnel records on demand and acknowledges the federal agents' right to make unannounced inspections of his facilities.

DeCoster is serving five years' probation as a result.

Counts declined to speculate about any action that might be taken against DeCoster, who could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Reporter Dan Piller can be reached at (515) 284-8161 or

51 plant workers face deportation hearings