Overview
- Ramsey County says ICE agents broke into ChongLy “Scott” Thao’s St. Paul home and removed him in his underwear on Jan. 18, 2026, then drove him away for about an hour before returning him home.
- County prosecutors opened a criminal inquiry in April into possible kidnapping, false imprisonment and burglary and sent a formal Touhy demand requesting federal records and agent identities.
- After months of what the county calls stonewalling, Ramsey County filed suit on July 15 to compel DHS and ICE to produce reports, body-camera footage and other evidence.
- The complaint alleges agents obscured identities by wearing masks and swapping license plates, and it asks the court to rule any policy of noncooperation unlawful and to award legal fees.
- DHS called the lawsuit political, while county officials point to recent court-ordered evidence sharing in related Metro Surge cases as a precedent that litigation can secure federal cooperation.