Dozens of workers were arrested after immigration agents raided a confectionery factory near Syracuse, New York, forcing their way into the factory. This marks one of the largest workplace raids in New York state since the inauguration of the Donald Trump administration.
According to the New York Times and other sources, immigration agents raided the Nutrition Bar Confectioners factory in Cato, near Syracuse, at around 9:00 a.m. on the 4th.The raid, which involved up to 75 agents, including the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, and the Cayuga County Sheriff’s Office, lasted for several hours and reportedly resulted in the arrest of more than 70 employees.
A witness reported that federal agents arrived at the plant and forced their way into the plant with crowbars, blocking the exits and handcuffing those inside. The DHS agent told them the arrested employees were being transported to the Oswego Border Patrol Station.
New York Governor Kathy Hokul issued a statement that night condemning the raid, saying, “These raids by federal agents do not make New York safer. They shatter hard-working families struggling to make a living. This action is a direct antithesis to New York values.”
The company’s owner, Mark Schmidt, said, “All of our employees are legally permitted to work in the United States,” adding, “This raid was excessive.”