DOJ narrative on St. Paul ICE raid unravels: one ‘co‑resident’ sex offender has been in prison for months
Federal prosecutors said Hmong U.S. citizen ChongLy Scott Thao lived with two convicted sex offenders to justify a forceful ICE raid that left him dragged from his St. Paul home wearing only shorts and Crocs; Thao was later confirmed to be a U.S. citizen. Minnesota Department of Corrections records show one of the alleged co‑residents has been in state prison for months and therefore could not have been living at Thao’s address, a discrepancy that further undermines the Justice Department’s account of the raid.
📌 Key Facts
- The DOJ publicly asserted that Hmong U.S. citizen ChongLy Scott Thao — described as a grandfather — was living with two convicted sex offenders to justify a violent ICE raid on his St. Paul home.
- Minnesota Department of Corrections records show that one of the two offenders the DOJ cited has been in state prison for months and therefore could not have been living at Thao’s address at the time of the raid.
- The mismatch between the DOJ’s claim and DOC records undermines the federal account of why the raid occurred.
- During the raid Thao was dragged from his home wearing only shorts and Crocs in winter.
- Thao was later confirmed to be a U.S. citizen.
- These discrepancies and details were reported by TwinCities in an article published on 2026-01-23, which highlighted the erosion of confidence in the DOJ narrative.
📊 Relevant Data
Between June and November 2025, the U.S. Senate Subcommittee documented 22 cases of U.S. citizens being mistakenly detained by ICE and CBP, with detentions ranging from hours to days and often involving excessive force, denial of rights, and fabricated justifications.
Unchecked Authority — U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
Causal factors for mistaken ICE detentions of U.S. citizens include racial profiling, failure to verify identity or accept proof of citizenship, aggressive tactics without warrants, and denial of medical care.
Unchecked Authority — U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
President Jimmy Carter's refugee policies, including doubling the refugee admissions quota in 1979, facilitated the immigration and resettlement of Hmong refugees to the United States, contributing to large Hmong communities in Minnesota.
President Carter's legacy includes policies which helped bring more Hmong to Minnesota — MPR News
Hmong Americans in Minnesota have seen per capita income increase from $7,210 in 2000 to $24,003 in 2021, indicating upward economic mobility despite ongoing challenges.
The Hmong in Minnesota 2000-21: Progress and Opportunities — Empowering Strategies
Approximately 25% of the Hmong population in Minnesota lives below the poverty line, higher than the state average.
Hmong and Hmong Americans in Minnesota — MinnPost
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- DOJ publicly asserted that Hmong U.S. citizen ChongLy Scott Thao was living with two convicted sex offenders to justify the violent ICE raid on his St. Paul home.
- Minnesota DOC records show that one of the two offenders DOJ cited has actually been in state prison for months and therefore cannot currently live at Thao’s address.
- The article details that this inconsistency further erodes confidence in federal accounts of the raid in which Thao was dragged from his home wearing only shorts and Crocs in winter, and later confirmed to be a citizen.