Immigration is a hot topic in this election year, but stats and officials say it's been good for Nebraska

A few years back, a lucky tip came my way about an impending immigration raid in O'Neill.

I don't recall a lot of details about what was expected to happen, but the tip was "you'd better be there tomorrow morning."

As I drove up Highway 281 toward the north-central Nebraska town, I settled in behind what seemed like an endless line of SUVs with blackened windows also driving northward.

It turned out they were mostly agents with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement who were headed to O'Neill to deliver arrest warrants. They were targeting 17 people alleged to have recruited undocumented...