Governor Kathy Hochul and migrant advocacy groups said on Thursday that dozens of people were detained in parts of New York state after raids in Cato and Fulton by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) federal agents.
“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,” Hochul said in a statement released by her office.
Under President Donald Trump, ICE has become the driving force of his sweeping crackdown on migrants, bolstered by record funding and new latitude to conduct raids.
Trump has said he wants to deport “the worst of the worst” criminals, but ICE figures have shown a rise in non-criminals being picked up.
Migrant advocacy group Rural and Migrant Ministry said on Facebook that over 70 workers were arrested after an ICE raid at a nutrition bar factory, Nutrition Bar Confectioners, in the village of Cato.
The New York Times also put the figure of those who were detained at more than 70, citing witnesses.
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The newspaper said the raid at the nutrition bar factory appeared to be one of the biggest workplace raids in New York since Trump’s crackdown began after he took office.