Federal immigration agents forcibly broke down the door of a Minnesota home and detained a U.S. citizen at gunpoint without presenting a warrant, then marched him outside in just his underwear in below-freezing temperatures, according to his family and videos reviewed by The Associated Press (AP).
ChongLy “Scott” Thao told the AP his daughter-in-law woke him from a nap Sunday afternoon to say masked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were pounding on the door of his St. Paul residence. Thao said he urged her not to open it, but agents forced their way inside with guns drawn, shouting at the family.
“I was shaking,” he said, adding that no warrant was ever shown before they broke in.
ChongLy Thao, who goes by Scott, during an interview with Reuters in his home a day after he was taken by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ICE agents before he was later returned, St. Paul, U.S., Jan. 19, 2026. (Reuters Photo)
The dramatic encounter unfolded as federal immigration enforcement operations in the Twin Cities draw growing criticism from residents and local leaders over warrantless detentions, aggressive confrontations with protesters, and the recent fatal shooting of a mother of three, Renee Good, by an ICE agent.
