Body camera footage offers a rare look inside a September 2025 immigration raid at the Nutrition Bar Confectioners plant in Cato, New York, where federal authorities made 57 arrests. The video, analyzed by The Associated Press as part of a lawsuit filed Thursday, is central to claims that immigration officers overstepped their search warrants and violated workers' constitutional rights.
The lawsuit, filed by the New York Civil Liberties Union and the Worker Justice Center of New York, alleges that federal officers exceeded their authority and conducted unlawful searches and seizures. According to the suit, officers lacked arrest warrants and there was no suspicion that individual workers had committed crimes. Approximately 100 people were detained for questioning, and while 57 were arrested, criminal charges were ultimately filed against only five, with the most serious being unlawful reentry.
One plaintiff in the lawsuit had charges dismissed after arguing her Fourth Amendment rights were violated. Attorneys for another deported plaintiff are seeking his return to the U.S.
The footage shows agents arriving at the plant, a facility in a town of 2,500 people east of Syracuse. After a manager opened the door, officers entered and detained employees on the production line, in the warehouse, and in bathrooms. The video captures interactions where male officers demanded female employees exit a locked bathroom, breaking down the door when their requests were not immediately met. One woman indicated she could not exit while undressed.
During the hours-long operation, investigators interviewed the general manager regarding hiring practices and potential fraudulent documents. Employees were separated into groups based on their U.S. citizenship status and questioned about their immigration status and entry into the country. Some employees requested to speak with attorneys before answering questions, but were informed they would be arrested if they refused to cooperate. U.S. citizens were asked for personal information, including phone numbers and addresses, before being permitted to leave.
The raid also brought to light alleged disparaging remarks made by a Border Patrol agent about children from other countries, referencing his experience at a South Texas immigrant detention center. The agent's comments, captured on body camera, suggested children from certain countries were treated differently and were potentially dangerous.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations unit is responsible for workplace raids. These operations have been less frequent and high-profile compared to the work of ICE's removal unit. The Trump administration's largest workplace raid occurred at a Georgia auto plant, resulting in nearly 500 arrests and causing diplomatic friction with South Korea.
While some officers wore body cameras, not all did. ICE's policy regarding the release of such footage is unclear, generally calling for expedited release after serious injury or death in custody if deemed in the agency's best interest. The agency has faced scrutiny over its use of body cameras and its transparency with released footage, particularly following an increase in its street presence and several fatal shootings this year.