Federal Raid on Upstate New York Food Manufacturer Raises Questions About Enforcement Tactics

In a startling show of federal force, law enforcement officers descended on Nutrition Bar Confectioners in Cato, New York — a small, family-owned snack bar manufacturer — forcibly detaining dozens of workers in an operation that has left the community shaken and raising serious concerns about the priorities and methods of immigration enforcement. Plant owner Lenny Schmidt called the raid "terrifying," emphasizing that the employees had been thoroughly vetted with proper documentation. The aggressive tactics employed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents—breaking through doors with crowbars without prior notice—have sparked alarm among business owners who question the heavy-handed approach...