Councilman faces criticism for immigration comments made on national TV
![<i>KETV via CNN Newsource</i><br/>On Tuesday](https://keyt.b-cdn.net/2025/01/ketvcouncilmanimmigrationcomments129.jpg)
On Tuesday
By Aaron Hegarty
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FREMONT, Nebraska (KETV) — Fremont City Councilmember Paul Von Behren took to Fox News’ “Fox and Friends” in early December to discuss how immigration has impacted the town.
On Tuesday, some Fremonters used the city council’s open public comment opportunity to express frustration over the comments.
On Fox News, Von Behren said: “I think the primary draw (to Fremont) is the cheap labor they (migrants) provide. They’re basically less educated, less skilled than the average American worker.”
Von Behren told KETV after the meeting his comments on Fox News were about migrants in general, as opposed to undocumented immigrants.
“The claims made during the interview misrepresent the facts and unfairly cast Fremont in a negative light,” said Chris Walz of the Fremont Area Chamber of Commerce Board, who read the letter signed by 16 board members to Von Behren.
Another letter was read on behalf of Jessica Koltermann of Lincoln Premium Poultry, the chicken plant that controversially came to town about seven years ago.
“The remarks do not represent the Fremont I have come to know and love, and the comments do not represent the majority of people who call Fremont home,” Kolterman said in her letter.
Both letters can be found in full at the bottom of this story.
Not all who spoke were opposed to Von Behren. One Fremonter said: “The time I saw him (on Fox News), I didn’t notice anything disparaging against immigrants.” He added the national media often fails to differentiate “between immigrants and illegal aliens. There’s a big difference.”
“My grandparents came through Ellis Island,” he said.
Von Behren also said immigration is putting stress on public safety and schools in Fremont. He told KETV some facts he shared on law enforcement could be questioned because Fox News requested law enforcement data and changed the topic 20 minutes before the interview.
Overall, though, he said after the meeting, “the content of it was basically accurate in my estimation.”
After Cindie Serrano heard what Von Behren said, she said she cried.
“I cried because we have worked hard for four and a half years to change Fremont for the better,” the meat packing industry employee said.
For example, Serrano helped create the Fremont Hispanic Festival, which she said has allowed the town’s Hispanic population to feel connected to Fremont.
Von Behren said reaction to his comments have been half positive, half negative.
“The way this has been taken has been based on people’s individual perception of the issue,” he said. “So I’m not sure I can change their perception. I’m not sure that’s going to happen. But I’m happy to try.”
Walz, the chamber board member, told the council Von Behren had not responded to his letter, which Von Behren denied.
Council members were not allowed to respond to the public comment during the meeting.
Fremont Area Chamber of Commerce Board read this letter:
Council Member Von Behren,
We are writing on behalf of the Fremont Area Chamber of Commerce to express our deep disappointment regarding your recent interview with Fox News, where you discussed the alleged negative impact of illegal migrants on Fremont’s schools and public safety. While immigration is a topic of national significance, the claims made during this interview misrepresent the facts about our community and unfairly cast Fremont in a negative light.
As a thriving and inclusive city, Fremont is committed to fostering growth, collaboration, and community well-being. Your comments during the interview suggested that our schools are overwhelmed, and our public safety is compromised due to an increase in illegal migrants, particularly as a result of our role as a meatpacking hub. However, much of this information is either misleading or inaccurate. Fremont has long been a community that values diversity and welcomes hardworking individuals who contribute to our local economy and culture. The City of Fremont itself has a vision statement: “To create an environment for growth, opportunities, and be welcoming to all.” As a city council member, you have the duty to know the vision of the city and adhere to the expectations of your constituents.
Statements like those made in the interview harm our city’s reputation, create unnecessary fear, and undermine the inclusive and forward-thinking environment that we work hard to maintain. They can also negatively impact our efforts to attract businesses, families, and talent to Fremont.
We urge you to carefully consider the broader implications of the messages you convey in public forums, particularly on divisive topics. Misinformation or exaggerated claims do not serve the best interests of our community. Instead, we should focus on fostering a narrative that highlights the strengths of Fremont and the resilience of our diverse population.
As a leader, you have a responsibility to represent the entire community, not just one perspective. We strongly encourage you to clarify your comments and provide accurate information that better reflects the reality of Fremont. Additionally, we welcome the opportunity to discuss ways we can work together to support Fremont’s continued growth and success.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter. We look forward to your response.
Regards, Fremont Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
Jessica Kolterman of Lincoln Premium Poultry wrote:
I am sorry I am not able to attend the meeting tonight, as I was previously scheduled to be at a poultry conference. I appreciate that one of my colleagues was willing to share a few thoughts on my behalf.
My family in Seward originally alerted me to inflammatory comments made by a member of the Fremont City Council to Fox News last month. They have heard me speak so warmly of this community for years now, and knew I would provide them perspective after hearing the remarks. After listening to them, I assured my family that the remarks do not represent the Fremont I have come to know and love and that the remarks do not represent the majority of the people who call Fremont home. Finally, a very quick fact check provided me information that the remarks also did not represent the truth. As such, I wanted to weigh in tonight to encourage you all as elected leaders to refrain from rhetoric and inflammatory language in the future when you represent the community and to stick to the facts.
A team member from LPP named Cristina Romero was recently featured in a national trade publication for the food processing industry. The editor of the publication had met her on a visit and asked to feature her because she represented what he described as a true American success story. Originally from El Salvador, Cristina committed herself to learning a certain piece of equipment, decided to further her education to help herself grow, and has three children now studying the trades in hopes of joining the ranks of our workforce. The editor recently published an editorial about her and her experiences, recognizing the “Cristinas” of the world for what he referred to as “gainful immigration.” I echo his sentiments and hope that you as representatives of this community recognize that most of the immigrants in Fremont are just that—gainful immigrants—people who have established themselves legally in this community, are gainfully employed, contribute to the local economy, are active and engaged in their churches, and positively impact the school system.
I appreciate the work that many of you have done to help Fremont overcome the negative image it gained previously for being a place where immigrants were not welcome. I have seen the countless contributions of immigrants who are here legally who work hard every single day. In fact, without those contributions, many businesses would not have a workforce. I am proud of the people who I work with at Lincoln Premium Poultry, no matter what their ethnicity, education level, or background is. Every time I speak to an orientation class I share that my goal as leader at LPP is to have a company culture where each person feels like they are part of the LPP family and that they feel valued and respected for the contributions they make. I encourage you as elected leaders to strive to make sure that all community members feel that same way about living in the community. Legal immigrants should be valued and respected and not irresponsibly classified as “illegals” merely due to their Hispanic ethnicity or heritage.
Thank you for providing this opportunity to share a few thoughts and if you would ever like to discuss this topic further, I am always available.
Sincerely, Jessica Kolterman
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