11 Sep 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 11, 2025
Contact: Tochtli Garcia, tgarcia@nationalcosh.org, +1 917 804 8581
National COSH: Immigration Raids in New York and Georgia are Direct Attacks on Worker Rights and Safety
Local COSH affiliates and their members are directly under attack—ICE actions threaten worker safety, immigrant rights, and family well-being.
Los Angeles, CA – The National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (National COSH) today denounced recent federal workplace immigration raids in New York and Georgia as direct assaults on our affiliates’ communities, on workers and their fundamental rights. These enforcement actions—conducted under the guise of immigration law—tear families apart, undermine public health, and endanger workplace safety.
“Immigration raids are not about safety or justice,” said Jessica E. Martinez, Executive Director of National COSH. “They are intentional tactics to undermine workers’ safety and rights and embolden employers to violate labor laws by silencing workers. We cannot allow ICE enforcement to become a weapon that strips workers of their rights and dignity.”
National COSH calls on allies across the country to stand in solidarity with immigrant workers in New York, Georgia, and beyond. Immigration raids are an attack on all working people—they erode trust, suppress reporting of workplace hazards and abuses, and make it harder to prevent injuries and save lives.
Raids in New York: Workers and Families Torn Apart
Last week, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol agents stormed the Nutrition Bar Confectioners plant in Cato, NY. Using crowbars to force entry, agents detained nearly 70 workers, including mothers of infants. At least a dozen workers were deported to Guatemala within 72 hours—denied due process and ripped from their families.
The Workers Center of Central New York (WCCNY), a local COSH affiliate, is leading emergency response efforts—connecting families with legal aid, coordinating direct support, and demanding accountability.
Jessica Maxwell, WCCNY executive director, reports: “Within 48 hours we and our partners were in touch with almost every single detained worker’s family. The cruelty is staggering, but the solidarity of our community sustains us. Now we urgently need resources to keep fighting.”
Support workers in New York by donating to the Workers Center of Central New York: Donations cover legal defense, emergency family support, and vital communication tools that keep workers safe. bit.ly/WCCNYRapidResponse
Raids in Georgia: ICE Targets Hyundai Metaplant Workers
In Georgia, last week’s ICE raids at the Hyundai Metaplant were the largest single-site raid in U.S. history. Local COSH affiliate Sur Legal Collaborative reports that these violent enforcement actions silence workers who have experienced repeated safety violations and preventable worker deaths.
“These raids have nothing to do with protecting communities,” said Martinez. “They are designed to instill fear and prevent workers from demanding the safe, healthy workplaces they deserve. Immigrant rights and worker rights are not separate struggles—they are one and the same.”
Stand with workers in Georgia - Donate to those directly impacted.
“We will not be silent,” said Martinez. “Every ICE raid is an attack on all workers. These dangerous tactics must end now – our health, safety, and dignity are on the line.
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