Governor Kathy Hochul condemned federal immigration authorities this week after visiting Nutrition Bar Confectioners in Cato, where a September 4 raid led to 57 detentions and criminal charges against five workers accused of illegally reentering the United States.
Factory left paralyzed
Hochul toured the factory floor, which produces nutrition bars for major retailers including Costco and Walmart. She described the production lines as “silent” and said the family-owned company is now struggling to keep its business afloat.
“Many have been traumatized, and many others have just not returned,” Hochul said, recounting her conversation with the Schmidt family, who own the facility.
Allegations of discriminatory tactics
The governor said the family told her that ICE agents separated workers “by the color of their skin” during the raid, placing white workers on one side and Latino workers on the other. She said agents also misled the owners by claiming homicide suspects were on site.
“It was un-American. It was abhorrent to see that kind of activity and know about it in our own country, much less our own state,” Hochul said.
Families caught in the middle
Hochul raised concerns about family separations, noting that three mothers with infants under the age of one remain separated from their babies. “It is traumatic for the mom. It’s also very unhealthy for the baby to be weaned so abruptly, so shockingly,” she said.
The governor said she asked former acting ICE Director Tom Homan to intervene and reunite the mothers with their children but has not received a response.
Federal prosecutors defend operation
Acting U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III said last week the raid was one of the largest worksite enforcement actions in the Northern District of New York in recent years. Prosecutors charged four men from Guatemala and one from Mexico with illegal reentry, each facing up to two years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and supervised release if convicted. The remaining 52 detainees face immigration proceedings.
Sarcone said the government intends to hold employers accountable for hiring unauthorized workers. “We will aggressively pursue criminal investigations against those who violate our laws by employing non-citizens without authorization,” he said.
Broader enforcement efforts
Homeland Security Investigations, Border Patrol, and the IRS Criminal Investigation Division led the raid, with support from ICE, Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Marshals Service, and local law enforcement. Officials said the operation was part of a larger effort to root out exploitative labor practices.
Funding priorities questioned
Hochul criticized the federal government’s spending priorities, noting that New York lost $87 million in counterterrorism funding while ICE resources expanded. She said Central New York alone lost $400,000 in local public safety funds.
“Does that make you feel safer, New Yorkers? No, it does not,” Hochul said. “Let’s get back to what keeps people safe — not separating families, not harming a small business that was looking to expand, and not separating babies from their mothers.”
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