Minnesota investigates ICE arrest of Hmong American man as possible kidnapping

Ramsey County, Minnesota, is investigating the January 18th arrest of ChongLy "Scott" Thao, a Hmong American man, by ICE officers as a possible kidnapping, burglary, and false imprisonment. County Attorney John Choi and Sheriff Bob Fletcher stated that ICE officers forcibly entered Thao's St. Paul home without a warrant, removed him in freezing temperatures, and drove him around. Despite Thao being a U.S. citizen, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, has not cooperated with the investigation. Ramsey County officials are seeking information from DHS regarding the circumstances surrounding Thao's arrest. This investigation follows previous instances of DHS refusing to cooperate with state and local investigations into killings of U.S. citizens by federal officers in Minneapolis.

Ramsey County, Minnesota, is investigating the January arrest of ChongLy “Scott” Thao, a Hmong American man, by ICE agents as a possible kidnapping, burglary, and false imprisonment. County Attorney John Choi and Sheriff Bob Fletcher announced the investigation, stating they are seeking information from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regarding the incident. ICE agents allegedly broke down Thao's door at gunpoint without a warrant and detained him, despite him being a U.S. citizen with no criminal record. DHS, which oversees ICE, has been reluctant to cooperate, and initially stated they were seeking two convicted sex offenders, who Thao says he does not know. The incident, captured on video, prompted outrage from neighbors. Thao was eventually released after a couple of hours.