New York Governor Kathy Hochul has condemned U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after large-scale raids in the towns of Cato and Fulton led to dozens of arrests.
In a statement on Thursday, Hochul said more than 40 people were detained in the early morning operations, including parents of school-age children. “I am outraged by this morning’s ICE raids in Cato and Fulton, where more than 40 adults were seized — including parents of at least a dozen children at risk of returning from school to an empty house,” she said.
Migrant advocacy group Rural & Migrant Ministry placed the number even higher, saying more than 70 workers were detained at Nutrition Bar Confectioners, a factory in Cato. The New York Times also reported that over 70 workers had been arrested, calling it one of the largest workplace raids in New York since President Donald Trump expanded enforcement measures.
Trump has said his priority is deporting “the worst of the worst” criminals, but ICE data has shown a growing number of non-criminals being detained.
Hochul stressed that while New York is willing to work with federal authorities to secure borders and deport violent offenders, “we will never stand for masked ICE agents separating families and abandoning children.”
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Mark Schmidt, the 70-year-old owner of Nutrition Bar Confectioners, told the New York Times that all of his workers had valid documentation to work in the United States, describing the raid as “overkill.”
An ICE Homeland Security Investigations spokesperson defended the action, calling it part of “court-authorized enforcement actions.” The agency said it could not comment further because of an ongoing criminal investigation but added it remained committed to “protecting the rights of workers and upholding U.S. laws.”
Details of the Fulton raid remain unclear, but Hochul warned the operations would not improve public safety. “What they did was shatter hard-working families who are simply trying to build a life here,” she said.
The raids are the latest flashpoint in Trump’s migrant crackdown, which has faced criticism from advocacy groups and local leaders for its impact on communities far from the border.