Federal immigration agents arrested 57 people at a New York confectionery in a worksite enforcement operation that New York Gov. Kathy Hochul condemned as “cruel,” while a Homeland Security spokesperson defended the action as necessary to disrupt illegal employment networks.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal agencies carried out the workplace action at Nutrition Bar Confectioners in Cato, New York, arresting 57 individuals, the Department of Homeland Security said. The agency said some of those taken into custody face prior criminal convictions or pending charges, including child endangerment, driving under the influence and multiple illegal re-entries into the United States.
Hochul said she was “outraged” by the operation and criticized the use of masked agents, saying the arrests risked separating families. "Parents of at least a dozen children are at risk of returning from school to an empty house," she said in a statement. Hochul added that New York will cooperate with federal authorities to remove violent criminals but “will never stand for masked ICE agents separating families and abandoning children,” calling the raids contrary to the state’s values.
A Homeland Security spokesperson defended the worksite enforcement operation as a tool to protect public safety, national security and economic stability while identifying potential victims of labor trafficking and exploitation. The spokesperson said such operations target “illegal employment networks that undermine American workers, destabilize labor markets, and threaten American communities.”
The agency said the arrests in Cato are part of broader ongoing enforcement actions. Officials cited recent operations that included more than 80 arrests at a Louisiana racetrack in mid-June, 70 arrests at a meatpacking plant in Omaha that investigators said involved use of stolen Social Security numbers, and an operation in Ventura County, California, in which authorities said more than 300 people were arrested and 14 children were removed from a farm and recovered from what the agency described as potential forced labor and trafficking situations.
The DHS spokesperson also said investigations have uncovered cases in which Social Security numbers were stolen and used to obtain employment, wages and benefits, causing harm to American workers, students and others whose identities were misused. The agency said that behind each stolen Social Security number is an American who can face financial and legal fallout.
The Cato arrests drew local and national attention, and reports indicated some protests followed the operation. Immigration enforcement at worksites has frequently produced confrontations and debate over the balance between enforcing immigration laws and limiting disruption to families and communities.
Fox News Digital reported that the agency said it occasionally encounters evidence of identity theft and labor trafficking during worksite actions. The outlet said it reached out to Gov. Hochul’s office and Nutrition Bar Confectioners for comment and did not immediately receive a response.
Federal officials said worksite enforcement is intended to protect American workers and to identify individuals who may be victims of exploitation; state officials and some immigrant advocates have criticized such raids for their impact on families and communities. The Cato operation comes as lawmakers and governors continue to debate national and state-level immigration policies and the use of federal resources for workplace enforcement.
The Department of Homeland Security did not provide an immediate timeline for potential deportation proceedings for those arrested in the Cato operation, and local prosecutors had not released charging information beyond the details cited by federal authorities. Proceedings in immigration matters typically involve administrative hearings in immigration courts, while criminal allegations can lead to separate prosecutions, depending on jurisdiction and charges.
This report is based on statements from DHS and comments from Gov. Hochul’s office, and on contemporaneous reporting of related federal worksite enforcement actions. Requests for further comment to state and company representatives were not immediately answered.