US EditionICE Detains US Citizen Without Warrant, Releases Him an Hour Later
ICE agents detained ChongLy Thao, a U.S. citizen, without a warrant in his home during an operation targeting sex offenders; agents held him for about an hour before releasing him.
- On Sunday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents forced open the St. Paul home of ChongLy "Scott" Thao, detained him at gunpoint without a warrant and led him outside in his underwear in subfreezing conditions.
- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security characterized the operation as a targeted arrest of two convicted sex offenders, DHS said ChongLy "Scott" Thao matched the description while the family disputed this.
- ICE officers prevented immediate ID retrieval, then drove ChongLy "Scott" Thao for about an hour, photographing and fingerprinting him using a federal database that found no records before returning him.
- Family members have contacted Minnesota's congressional offices, the attorney general, and the ACLU about legal options, while the damaged front door remained on Jan. 19, 2026.
- Amid a regional surge of federal agents, the raid sparked local backlash over enforcement tactics as videos showed neighbors confronting more than a dozen armed federal agents and St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her criticized the arrest.
212 Articles
212 Articles
ICE detains US citizen in his underwear during ‘targeted operation’ searching for sex offenders in Minnesota
A US citizen was dragged out of his Minnesota home in his underwear by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents during a search of two sex offenders who allegedly lived at the property.
ICE Agents Drag US Citizen Half-Naked in 10-Degree Cold After Smashing Down Wrong Door
ChongLy Scott Thao was having a Sunday afternoon nap when his daughter-in-law woke him with alarming news. Federal agents were banging on the door of their St Paul home. He told her not to answer. Moments later, masked officers smashed through the door with guns drawn. What happened next has become one of the most widely shared images from Minnesota's ongoing immigration crackdown. Thao, a 56-year-old US citizen, was dragged out into -12°C (10°F…
U.S. citizen says ICE removed him from his Minnesota home in his underwear after warrantless search
Federal immigration agents bashed open a door and detained a U.S. citizen in his Minnesota home at gunpoint without a warrant, then led him out onto the streets in his underwear in subfreezing conditions, according to his family and videos reviewed by The Associated Press.
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