FILE - A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer listens during a briefing, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025, in Silver Spring, Md. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
ST. PAUL, Minn. (KFGO/WCCO) – Ramsey County is suing the Department of Homeland security over alleged misconduct.
Ramsey County Attorney John Choi and Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher filed a federal lawsuit seeking to force the agency to share evidence from a January incident where immigration officers allegedly entered the St. Paul home of a U.S. citizen, Chongly ‘Scott’ Thao.
They say he was detained without a warrant, and federal officers took him outside at gunpoint, in subzero temperatures, while he was only wearing underwear and slippers.
Choi says DHS has missed deadlines to turn over information over the last 6 months.
“It’s been frustrating because in normal times we have the cooperation between agencies, whether it’s at the state level, interagency or whether it’s between state and federal,” Choi explained.
Investigators are also looking into whether agents committed state level crimes including kidnapping and false imprisonment.
Thao, was reportedly handcuffed and driven around in a vehicle for an hour.
“I don’t think there’s a question that there was a law broken,” said Fletcher. “I mean, at the minimum, this is conduct unbecoming an officer of the court. At a maximum it’s some form of false imprisonment.”
DHS later said they were searching for two convicted sex offenders. A federal judge is set to rule on whether the agency must hand over the requested evidence.
Comments