A federal immigration raid went viral over the weekend when agents detained a US citizen in his Minnesota home at gunpoint, then led him onto the street in his underwear in subfreezing conditions. ChongLy Thao, 56, was returned some time later that day without explanation or an apology.
The Department of Homeland Security said officers were looking for two convicted sex offenders at the address and that a US citizen living there refused to be fingerprinted or be facially identified, so he was detained. In a statement, Thao’s family said it “categorically disputes” that account and “strongly objects to DHS’s attempt to publicly justify this conduct with false and misleading claims”.
Minnesota officials have filed a lawsuit to curb ICE’s ongoing immigration crackdown, which has seen over 3,000 arrests in six weeks. The Trump administration has said the Constitution gives the federal government broad authority to enforce national immigration laws as the government sees fit.
