ICE Forces US Citizen Out of Home Wearing Only Underwear & His Grandson's Blanket in Freezing Temperatures

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents forced a handcuffed man out of his home wearing nothing but underwear and a blanket wrapped around his shoulders as his crying grandson watched from the window amid an ongoing immigration crackdown in Minnesota.

According to reporting by the Associated Press, 56-year-old ChongLy “Scott” Thao, a naturalized U.S. citizen and grandfather, was detained in his St. Paul home after ICE agents with guns forced their way onto the property on Sunday (January 18).

Video from the incident shows Thao being escorted from the home wearing blue shorts, shoes and a red and white plaid blanket.

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AP reported that Thao was home with his daughter-in-law and grandson when agents appeared at the door. They reportedly did not have a warrant but forced their way in.

In an interview with the outlet, he said that he was handcuffed and told to leave the house as he was dressed.

“When they took me out there, my grandson was peeking out the window,” he said. “After they took me, he was crying, looking for me. They just [took] me out there without any clothes on. I’m left [with] only the blanket. Only my grandson’s blanket.”

Thao was taken into a car, alleging, “They didn’t say anything that was wrong.”

He said that he tried to get his daughter-in-law to find his ID for him, but AP reported that the agents said they “didn’t want to see it.”

After being detained, he said, “Then suddenly they tried to take a picture of me, but I didn’t want to, right?”

Thao told AP that he was driven away but was released after his son was able to show the agents his ID.

“They just say, ‘Okay, you’re good.’ So they free me. And they didn’t say anything. Sorry or anything. They just [say], ‘Okay, you’re good.’ ”

Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin said “ICE conducted a targeted operation of 2 convicted sex offenders,” in a statement provided to Just Jared. Continuing, she alleged, “They both have final orders of removal from an immigration judge.”

“The US citizen lives with these two convicted sex offenders at the site of the operation. The individual refused to be fingerprinted or facially ID’d. He matched the description of the targets,” McLaughlin said. “As with any law enforcement agency, it is standard protocol to hold all individuals in a house of an operation for safety of the public and law enforcement.”

The full statement can be read on X.

However, Thao‘s family “categorically disputes” the description of events and “strongly objects to DHS’s attempt to publicly justify this conduct with false and misleading claims,” per AP.

He told the outlet that the only residents of the home were himself, his son, daughter-in-law and grandson.

“I don’t feel safe at all,” Thao, who reportedly plans to file a civil rights lawsuit, told AP. “What did I do wrong? I didn’t do anything.”