Minnesota Officials Launch Investigation into ICE Detention of US Citizen
Authorities in Ramsey County, Minnesota, have launched a formal investigation into the detention of a US citizen by federal immigration officers, examining whether the incident constitutes kidnapping, burglary, and false imprisonment. The case centers on ChongLy "Scott" Thao, a 56-year-old naturalized American citizen who was forcibly removed from his St. Paul home by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in January 2026.
Warrantless Raid and Forced Detention
According to Thao's family and local officials, masked ICE officers broke down the door of Thao's residence without presenting a warrant. Agents dragged Thao into the street while he was wearing only his underwear, despite sub-freezing temperatures. The Hmong American citizen reported being driven to an unspecified location where agents photographed him before realizing their error and returning him home nearly two hours later.
"There are many facts we don't know yet, but there's one that we do know – and that is that Mr. Thao is and has been an American citizen," stated Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher during a press conference. "There's no dispute that he was taken out of his house, forcibly taken out of his home and driven around."
Operation Metro Surge and Wider Context
The incident occurred during Operation Metro Surge, the Trump administration's intensified immigration enforcement campaign in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. This same month saw the fatal shootings of anti-ICE protesters Renee Good and Alex Pretti by government agents, adding to the tense atmosphere surrounding immigration enforcement in the region.
Videos from the day of Thao's arrest captured chaotic scenes outside his home, with neighbors blowing whistles and horns while screaming at more than a dozen armed ICE agents to leave the family alone. The confrontation has become symbolic of broader tensions between federal immigration authorities and local communities.
Official Investigation and Federal Response
Ramsey County Attorney John Choi and Sheriff Fletcher revealed that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has failed to respond to their formal request for information about Thao's arrest and detention. The officials have set an April 30 deadline for DHS to provide evidence before potentially convening a grand jury in May or filing a lawsuit.
"This is not about any type of predetermined agenda other than to seek the truth and to investigate the facts," Choi emphasized, noting that the St. Paul Police Department is investigating another case related to the immigration crackdown for potential violations.
In a statement to media, a DHS spokesperson defended the agency's actions: "ICE does not 'kidnap' people. This is nothing but a political stunt to demonize ICE law enforcement." The statement claimed agents were executing a warrant based on surveillance and intelligence information suggesting "sexual predator targets had ties to the property," and that Thao refused fingerprinting or facial identification.
Broader Legal and Political Implications
The investigation comes amid increasing tensions between Minnesota authorities and federal immigration officials. Neighboring Hennepin County, which includes Minneapolis, has already sued the Trump administration to gain access to evidence needed to independently investigate three shootings by federal officers in Minneapolis.
Sheriff Fletcher challenged the administration's position that federal agents enjoy immunity from local prosecution: "There is no such thing as absolute immunity for federal agents. There's qualified immunity for all law enforcement in a lot of different capacities. But seizing a person out of their home who's an American citizen, they're not immune from that."
National Context of ICE Detentions
These developments occur as deaths in ICE custody approach 50 since Donald Trump resumed the presidency in January 2025. Recent fatalities include Alejandro Cabrera Clemente, a 49-year-old Mexican migrant found unresponsive at a Louisiana detention center in April 2026, marking at least the 15th death in ICE custody that year and the 47th overall during Trump's second term.
Thao has declined recent media requests for comment but previously denied any knowledge of or connection to the individuals ICE agents claimed to be seeking. The investigation continues as local officials seek to determine whether state or federal laws were violated during the controversial detention.
