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Guatemalan legal resident briefly detained, partner taken as dozens held in ICE raid at factory

Sep 4, 2025·Location: Cato, NY

Country of origin: Guatemala

Guatemalan legal resident briefly detained, partner taken as dozens held in ICE raid at factory
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A 24-year-old Guatemalan man who became a legal U.S. resident two years earlier was briefly detained, photographed, and released during a raid by federal agents, including Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations, at Nutrition Bar Confectioners in Cato, New York. His partner, who lacks legal status, was among dozens of workers taken away by agents before he could speak to her, and he did not know where she had been detained. Plant owner Lenny Schmidt said all employees had been vetted and had legal documentation, called the raid "terrifying," and said he would have cooperated if notified beforehand. Cayuga County Sheriff Brian Schenck said deputies assisted HSI in executing a search warrant tied to an ongoing criminal investigation, prompting state Sen. Rachel May to question why workers were detained.

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