10
Loading video...
By Billal Rahman
Immigration Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Federal immigration agents forced their way into a women’s bathroom and told an occupant to "pull up your pants and come out" during a workplace raid in New York State, footage shows.
The enforcement operation took place on September 4 at Nutrition Bar Confectioners, a nutrition bar manufacturing plant in Cato, Cayuga County, according to court documents reviewed by Newsweek.
Read More on News
Why It Matters
Under the Trump administration, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), two key arms of the Department of Homeland Security, have been leading the government's mass deportation strategy. The agencies have faced criticism and increased scrutiny over their methods, with allegations of misconduct and violations of due process.
What To Know
Body-worn camera footage released as part of ongoing legal proceedings shows agents moving through the plant, directing employees into hallways.
At one point, agents attempted to open a locked women’s restroom door, and after it did not open, they forced entry and issued the directive, video shows.
...
During the raid, federal authorities detained 57 workers, according to government documents reviewed by Newsweek.
Workers with varying immigration statuses were among those detained; legal representatives for some detainees say at least one individual with a valid work permit was deported despite authorization to work.
The Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) office in Syracuse received information alleging that Nutrition Bar Confectioners, a granola bar manufacturer located at 12351 State Route 34 in Cato, New York, may have employed individuals without legal authorization and used fraudulent immigration documents, according to government documents.
Internal documents raised concerns about potential financial irregularities at the facility, authorities said. HSI Syracuse, in coordination with the IRS Syracuse, Oswego Border Patrol, and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Syracuse, initiated an investigation into these allegations.
Attorneys and immigration advocates have criticized the conduct of the agents, questioning whether some actions were legally justified under the warrants used in the operation. ICE and federal prosecutors have stated the raid was lawful and part of routine immigration enforcement.
Paul Tuck, a lawyer for one of the detainees, Argentina Juarez-Lopez, shared body‑camera footage from the raid with U.S. District Judge Brenda Sannes.
Tuck has asked the judge to suppress any evidence collected, arguing the raid violated the Fourth Amendment, which protects against searches and seizures without probable cause. Juarez-Lopez, facing a felony immigration charge, said agents blocked exits from the break room for about an hour and were armed.
She was questioned for only nine seconds, requested a lawyer, and was then handcuffed and taken to the Oswego Border Patrol facility. According to Tuck’s motion, two agents later recorded that she is from Guatemala and unlawfully present in the United States.
Tuck argues that seizing Juarez-Lopez without probable cause or at a minimum reasonable suspicion violated her constitutional rights.
A federal judge in Syracuse ruled in her favor last week.
U.S. District Court Judge Brenda K. Sannes found that Juarez-Lopez’s Fourth Amendment rights were violated when immigration agents entered the Cato facility. The Fourth Amendment protects against unreasonable searches and seizures for all individuals in the United States, including both citizens and non-citizens.
On September 9, 2025, Acting U.S. Attorney John Sarcone III said all 57 individuals detained during the raid were unlawfully present in the United States. By that date, 52 of the detainees had been returned to their alleged countries of origin. The remaining five individuals, including Juarez-Lopez, were charged with illegally reentering the United States following a prior removal.
What People Are Saying
Tuck wrote in court documents: "The Fourth Amendment does not permit such a ‘shoot first, ask questions later’ approach."
Perry Grossman, a lawyer for the ACLU in New York: "The aggressive tactics used on Sept. 4 are incongruous with the limits courts to date have placed on the executive of administrative search warrants and raise serious concerns about the representations made to the magistrate judge in applying for the warrants."
Cato Institute Director of Immigration Studies David Bier (no connection with the location of the raid) wrote in a post on X: "The agents only had a warrant to review employer documents. They didn't have a warrant to search for, detain, or arrest anyone there."
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines