By Micah Jonah
January 20, 2026
A United States citizen has recounted a traumatic experience after immigration officers forcefully entered his home in Minnesota, handcuffed and dragged him outside into freezing weather during an immigration operation linked to President Donald Trump’s intensified crackdown on undocumented migrants.
The incident occurred in Saint Paul, Minnesota, where 56 year old ChongLy Thao, also known as Scott Thao, said officers broke down his door with weapons drawn while he and his family were inside their home. He was reportedly taken outside wearing only boxer shorts and rubber footwear, as snow covered the ground and temperatures dropped below freezing.
Thao, who was born in Laos, became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1991, said he was not given the opportunity to put on proper clothing before being taken outside. He later returned home without any formal explanation or apology from the officers, according to his account.
Images from the scene showing him wrapped in a blanket in the snow circulated widely on social media, sparking public outrage and renewed concerns over the conduct of federal law enforcement during immigration raids.
In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security said officers were searching for two convicted sex offenders believed to be linked to the address. The agency claimed Thao matched the description of the suspects and was detained after refusing fingerprinting and facial identification during the operation.
Authorities also said that standard safety procedures require officers to temporarily detain individuals found inside targeted locations during enforcement actions.
However, Thao and his family said one of the suspects had moved out of the house long before the raid, and they described the operation as unnecessary, degrading and deeply traumatic, especially given the presence of children in the home.
The raid also comes amid legal battles over federal enforcement tactics. A U.S. District Judge in Minnesota recently issued an injunction restricting aggressive law enforcement actions against protesters, warning that such tactics could discourage lawful civic participation. The Trump administration is appealing that ruling.
Thao said he was afraid of being deported during the incident, despite being a U.S. citizen for more than three decades. He explained that his family migrated to the United States in the 1970s in search of safety and opportunity after conflict in Southeast Asia.
He questioned whether or not such treatment reflects the values of a country many immigrants once viewed as a refuge.
The incident has intensified national debate over civil liberties, racial profiling and the limits of immigration enforcement, particularly as thousands of federal officers have reportedly been deployed in parts of the United States to support mass immigration operations.
For some observers in Nigeria, across Africa, the situation highlights broader global concerns about human rights, dignity and the treatment of minority communities, especially in times of heightened political pressure and security driven policies.
Human rights advocates warn that without stronger safeguards, lawful residents and citizens could increasingly find themselves caught in enforcement operations meant for criminal suspects, raising serious constitutional and humanitarian questions.
