Factories' proprietor claims ICE raid was overly aggressive

In a recent development, the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office has been involved in an operation at Nutrition Bar Confectioners, a local business in Ira, as part of an investigation by U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The search, authorised by a federal judge as part of an investigation into felony-level crimes, began around 9 a.m.

Cayuga County Sheriff Brian Schenck confirmed his office's assistance in the operation. Nine deputies from the Sheriff's office were assigned to perimeter security, traffic control, and family assistance during the operation. The Sheriff's department's mobile command center, purchased in 2011 with federal funding, was also utilised.

Agents seized payroll hard drives during the raid, but further details about the ongoing investigation have not been released by federal authorities. The affected persons in the case have not been publicly disclosed.

Lenny Schmidt, co-owner of Nutrition Bar Confectioners, stated that about 10 of the 69 employees detained on Sept. 4 had been released by the following day. Schmidt reported that all 230 workers were interviewed and required to show proof of citizenship or work authorization during the raid.

Schmidt criticised the execution of the raid, describing it as involving masked agents, crowbars, dogs, and shouted commands. Cayuga County Legislature Chair Jonathan Anna expressed concern about the scope of federal enforcement actions in the county's agricultural economy.

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It is worth noting that the Cayuga County Sheriff's office was not involved in immigration enforcement, and Schenck's limited security role in the operation at Nutrition Bar Confectioners did not require legislative approval. Overtime costs and other expenses incurred during the raid were reimbursed by federal agencies.

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