Minnesota U.S. Citizen Detained by ICE in Armed Raid Sparks Outrage and Civil Rights Concerns

A Minnesota man’s traumatic encounter with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has ignited renewed debate over immigration enforcement practices and civil rights under the Trump administration. ChongLy Thao, 56, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Laos, said he experienced fear, shame, and desperation after ICE officers forcibly entered his Saint Paul home with guns drawn, handcuffed him, and dragged him outside into the snow while he was barely clothed.

Speaking to Reuters, Thao, who goes by Scott, said the incident occurred on Sunday night when officers broke down his door while he was at home with family. He was wearing only boxer shorts and Crocs and was denied the chance to put on additional clothing despite freezing temperatures that reached just 14 degrees Fahrenheit. Covered only by a blanket belonging to his four-year-old grandson, Thao said he prayed in fear, believing he might be deported to Laos, a country he left as a child and where he has no remaining family.

ICE later returned Thao to his home without explanation or apology after fingerprinting and photographing him. The Department of Homeland Security stated that officers were executing an operation targeting two convicted sex offenders believed to be living at the address. DHS claimed Thao matched the description of the suspects and was detained after refusing fingerprinting and facial identification.

Photos of the incident circulated widely on social media, intensifying public concern that federal immigration enforcement officers are exceeding their authority. Advocacy groups and community members described the raid as unnecessary, degrading, and deeply traumatizing, particularly given Thao’s legal status as a U.S. citizen since 1991.

The incident comes amid a broader immigration crackdown in the Minneapolis area, where roughly 3,000 federal officers have reportedly been deployed. It also coincides with a recent federal court injunction blocking certain aggressive law enforcement tactics, a ruling the Trump administration is now appealing.

For Thao, the experience has shaken his faith in the American promise. “We came here for a safe future,” he said. “If this is America now, why are we here?”