Ramsey County takes DHS to federal court over U.S. citizen's forcible removal
Ramsey County sues DHS over ICE arrest of Hmong-American in St. Paul
Ramsey County officials announced a lawsuit Wednesday against the Department of Homeland Security over a lack of cooperation throughout an investigation into an arrest during Operation Metro Surge. The case involves the January arrest of Chongly Scott Thao, a Hmong American U.S. citizen, by federal agents in St. Paul.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Ramsey County investigators are pushing for answers after federal agents removed a man from his home and have now taken their case to federal court.
Chongly Scott Thoa's January ICE arrest
What we know:
Ramsey County investigators have been looking into whether Department of Homeland Security agents acted lawfully when they broke into the home of Chongly Scott Thao and forcibly removed him in January.
Thao, a U.S. citizen who was not suspected of any crime, was driven around for an hour before agents returned him home. In February, investigators started requesting information from DHS about the removal. While federal officials asked for and were granted deadline extensions, DHS has not responded to the requests, leading the Ramsey County attorney and sheriff to take the matter to federal court.
Sheriff Bob Fletcher of the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office said, "I don’t think there’s a question there was a law broken. At the minimum, this is conduct unbecoming to an officer of the court. At the maximum, its some form of false imprisonment or kidnapping. It all depends on what the intent was, what the motive was, what they did during that hour," said Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher at a Wednesday news conference.
Investigators are specifically seeking reports from the agents who were present that day. They want to know what information and motive the agents had to carry out the operation.
Officials seek answers
The backstory:
The case has drawn attention from local leaders, including Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who has discussed the situation. She grilled acting Attorney General Todd Blanche about it at a U.S. Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday.
Ramsey County’s efforts to get answers have been ongoing since February, with growing frustration over the lack of cooperation from DHS. Officials say their main goal is to determine if the agents’ actions were justified and to understand what happened during the hour Thao was removed from his home.
Local perspective:
The case has raised concerns in the community about law enforcement accountability and transparency. Ramsey County leaders say they are committed to finding out the truth and ensuring that residents’ rights are protected. Community members are watching closely as the case moves to federal court, hoping for more clarity and answers from DHS about the agents’ actions.
What we don't know:
It is still unclear what information or motive DHS agents had for removing Thao from his home, and DHS has not yet provided the requested reports or responded to investigators’ questions.
The Source: FOX 9's Karen Scullin reported on this story after a news conference featuring the Ramsey County Attorney's Office, and Ramsey County Sheriff's Office.