Ë®¹ûÅÉAV

• The raid took place beginning at about 9 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 4, at Nutrition Bar Confectioners at 12351 Route 34 in the town of Ira. The factory, under its third generation of ownership by the Schmidt family, produces about 250 million energy, snack, protein and meal replacement bars a year for several large, confidential brands.

• The raid saw U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement and Border Patrol agents storm the factory, using crowbars to force open the doors. Dogs and dune buggies were used as well. Witnesses told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV that agents said they have a warrant, and ordered the employees into the break room. From there, they were directed to a space where they were asked to show agents documentation of U.S. citizenship or else be detained. But witnesses said some employees were detained even though they showed documentation or, in at least one instance, said it was in their car. 

• Nutrition Bar Confectioners co-owner Lenny Schmidt and others told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV all of the factory's employees are legally in the U.S. or able to work here, and none have criminal records. Schmidt said the business collects identification like driver's licenses and passports for payroll, and that agents took copies of its payroll hard drives.

• Assisting the federal agents were the Cayuga and Oswego county sheriff's offices. In response to questions by Ë®¹ûÅÉAV, Cayuga County Sheriff Brian Schenck said in a statement that he and deputies provided "perimeter assistance" while the agents executed the search warrant. The office also deployed its mobile command center, which was bought in 2011 with $180,000 from the Department of Homeland Security. The federal government will pay for any overtime for the deputies who assisted with the raid as well, Schenck added.

• Schmidt said 69 of his employees, all Hispanic, were detained. The number ranges in other reports from 40 to more than 70. As of Friday, Schmidt said, about 10 had been released.

• What remains unknown about the raid is its exact reason. Neither ICE's Office of Public Affairs nor Department of Homeland Security New York Public Affairs Officer Stephanie Pagones have responded to multiple requests for comment by Ë®¹ûÅÉAV. Schenck deferred comment to those agencies, only saying the raid was part of "an investigation into felony-level crimes."

• There is also much uncertainty about the current whereabouts of the employees who remain detained. The Workers Center of Central New York and the Rural & Migrant Ministry, who have members who are among those detained, told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV their families have not been able to obtain this information from the government.