A disturbing early-morning raid by federal immigration agents in St. Paul, Minnesota is fueling outrage among civil rights advocates, local officials, and constitutional scholars after a U.S. citizen was forcibly removed from his home at gunpoint without a judicial warrant.
According to reporting reviewed by The Associated Press, federal agents affiliated with Immigration and Customs Enforcement broke down the door of a residence and detained ChongLy Scott Thao, despite his family insisting he is a lawful U.S. citizen.
“They Didn’t Show Any Warrant”
Thao told the AP that the incident began Sunday afternoon when his daughter-in-law alerted him that masked agents were banging on the door of his St. Paul home. Thao instructed her not to open it.
Moments later, agents forced their way inside, pointed firearms at family members, and shouted commands.
“I was shaking,” Thao said. “They didn’t show any warrant; they just broke down the door.”
Thao was then reportedly led outside wearing only his underwear in subfreezing temperatures, an image that has intensified public anger and raised serious questions about excessive force and basic human dignity.
Administrative Paperwork — Not a Judicial Warrant
The document used to justify the entry and arrest was not signed by a judge. Instead, it was an administrative immigration warrant, signed by an immigration officer under the Department of Homeland Security.
Legal experts are clear: administrative immigration warrants do not authorize nonconsensual entry into a private home.
Under long-established constitutional law, such documents do not permit forced entry, searches, or seizures inside a residence without either:
Consent, or
A judicial warrant supported by probable cause and signed by a judge or magistrate.
Fourth Amendment Concerns
The incident has triggered alarm over what many are calling a blatant violation of the Fourth Amendment, which protects Americans against unreasonable searches and seizures.
Law enforcement officers are required to obtain a judicial warrant before entering a home where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy. That warrant must:
Be supported by probable cause
Specify what can be searched or seized
Be approved by a neutral judge
None of those standards appear to have been met in this case, according to the information released so far.
Civil liberties advocates warn that allowing executive agencies to treat administrative paperwork as a substitute for judicial oversight undermines a core safeguard of the Bill of Rights.
Local Leaders Condemn ICE Actions
St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her, who is Hmong American, issued a sharply worded condemnation following Thao’s detention.
“ICE is not doing what they say they’re doing,” Her said. “They’re not going after hardened criminals. They’re going after anyone and everyone in their path. It is unacceptable and un-American.”
The raid comes amid reports of a surge of federal immigration operations across the Twin Cities, accompanied by growing community backlash over aggressive enforcement tactics, warrantless arrests, and violent encounters with civilians.
A Chilling Precedent
For many Americans, the most troubling aspect of the incident is not just what happened to Thao — but what it signals for everyone else.
The image of armed agents battering down a door without a judge’s authorization, with children inside the home, strikes at the heart of constitutional protections meant to restrain government power.
Legal scholars warn that normalizing warrantless home entries based on administrative immigration documents sets a dangerous precedent, eroding the separation of powers and weakening judicial oversight.
As investigations continue and public pressure mounts, Thao’s case is rapidly becoming a national flashpoint in the debate over immigration enforcement, civil liberties, and whether constitutional rights are being quietly redefined on American soil.
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