Overview
- Videos from Jan. 18, 2026 showed Chongly Scott Thao, a U.S. citizen, handcuffed outside his St. Paul home in shorts and Crocs which prompted public outcry and questions about mistaken identity.
- Ramsey County opened a criminal probe in April into the arrest, saying ICE agents may have committed kidnapping, burglary and false imprisonment during the operation.
- On July 15, 2026 Ramsey County Attorney John Choi and Sheriff Bob Fletcher filed suit against the Department of Homeland Security seeking a court order to compel federal production of evidence after months of denied or delayed responses to formal demands.
- Separately, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison have an active suit and say federal investigators recently began sharing some material in related shootings by immigration agents, but key access disputes remain unresolved.
- If the court forces full cooperation it could give local prosecutors the evidence needed to pursue criminal charges and increase local oversight of federal immigration operations while affecting how future state investigations access federal-held records.