Cato, N.Y. – Owners of a food manufacturing plant raided by over 50 federal agents and law enforcement officials Thursday said they were shocked and alarmed by the raid.
Federal agents, some masked and wearing bullet-proof vests, swept in and took away about 70 of the 150 people working at the Nutrition Bar Confectioners plant in Cato, according to Jeff, Lenny, and Mark Schmidt Jr., three brothers who own the business.
Nothing like this has ever happened in the nearly 50 years the Schmidt family has operated the business, they said in an interview Friday.
“We feel terrorized, there is no explanation,” said Lenny Schmidt.
About 9 a.m. Thursday, the agents with US. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other agencies raided the factory at 12351 Route 34 that pumps out hundreds of thousands of food bars each shift. Cayuga County and Oswego County sheriff’s deputies assisted in the raid.
Workers said the federal agents detained anyone who was Hispanic working in the factory, Lenny Schmidt said. The others were released.
Some workers detained had government documents in their cars showing they were legally in this country, but they weren’t allowed to get them before being taken away, the brothers said workers told them.
Some of the employees detained were later released and began to return to the business Friday, the brothers said.
The brothers said they were not in the factory when the raid started, but they rushed over when they heard about it. They said agents and deputies would not allow them past the entrance to the property.
The brothers said the factory was shut down for the rest of Thursday. This morning, they resumed operations, but with a very depleted workforce.
The plant normally runs 24 hours a day. After the raid, the later shifts were told not to come to work, the owners said.
The owners said they are trying to support their employees, including reaching out to some families who have children left behind.
“We met with everyone this morning. Just let them know how heartbreaking this was,” Jeff Schmidt said. “We’re there for them. If they can’t work today, that’s okay. If they want to find other work, we can help with that too.”
Lenny Schmidt said he can’t imagine how scared the other Hispanic workers are after the raid.
Some of the workers have been with the company for eight to 10 years, he said.
“These are well trained, hard working, good people who have been taken,” said Jeff Schmidt.
The company, which makes snack and protein bars and meal replacement bars, employs about 220 people.
“70 out of 220, that’s a huge blow, no doubt,” said Jeff Schmidt.
Cayuga County Sheriff Brian Schenck said the raid was a U.S. Department of Homeland Security investigation into felony crimes, but has refused to say what crimes.
The Schmidt’s said they were told the same thing, but are unaware of what crimes are being investigated.
An ICE spokesperson would not answer questions submitted by Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard, including what crimes were being investigated. Illegally entering the country more than once is a felony.
ICE won’t say how many people it detained. On Thursday, the state said more than 40 people were detained.
The brothers said their hiring practices and standards are fully compliant with federal law. They said all the employees had proper documentation to work.
They said they are particularly diligent because they know they have many migrant workers.
The owners said a lot is still up in the air for the company that was founded in 1978 by Leonard “Len” Schmidt and his son Mark Sr. as Incred-a-Meal. Mark and his three sons rebranded the company in 2007 as Nutrition Bar Confectioners.
The brothers don’t know how many employees will come back and they don’t know if the investigation will return to their factory.
They questioned if anyone would want to come work there after what happened and that they will have to hit the market to replace some of their highly skilled, practiced workers if they do not return. Some people did apply for jobs on Friday.
The family said they have received positive messages and support from the community.
The owners said that it will be a difficult for the company to bounce back.
Staff writer Finn Lincoln covers breaking news, crime and public safety. He can be reached at flincoln@syracuse.com or 315-607-2986.
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