ICE, according to critics, is getting a bad reputation for itself due to its aggressive conduct against innocent people. Recently, ChongLy “Scott” Thao, a 56-year-old man, was dragged out of his home at gunpoint in Minnesota.
Agents barged into his residence forcefully when he was sleeping and took him outside in freezing weather. The man was only in his underwear, with a blanket over him, and wearing Crocs.
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT
A Minnesota man told @Reuters he felt fear, shame and desperation when ICE officers broke down his door with guns drawn, handcuffed him and dragged him into the snow wearing shorts and Crocs https://t.co/6twQvErm3s pic.twitter.com/x0H8jEWcFp
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 20, 2026
When they checked his ID, they found him to be a naturalized U.S. citizen with no criminal record. Thao was questioned for almost an hour and then returned home without any apology or clarification for the actions.
Previously, situations like these were unlikely to happen because only a judicial warrant could lead to police entry. But now, even without an administrative warrant, ICE is entering homes.
Government officials issue administrative warrants, unlike judicial warrants that get approved by a judge. The administrative ones do not give ICE the authority to enter homes. The Los Angeles Times explains: “Judicial warrants are issued by judges when they are presented with probable cause and allow law enforcement officers to enter and search a person’s residence.”
It clarifies, “In contrast, administrative warrants are issued by staff in the executive branch and can be used to arrest someone, including someone suspected of being in the U.S. without legal status. But until May, they were understood to not allow law enforcement officers to enter a suspect’s home.”
While condemning this kind of act, the report further states, “This policy flies in the face of the Constitution, legal precedent and Homeland Security’s own guidelines.”
In their defense, the Department of Homeland Security issued a statement claiming the agents were there to find two sex offenders. According to DHS, Thao “matched the description of the wanted individual.” He got detained only because he didn’t want to “identify himself.”
Yep, @Reuters captured ICE breaking down a door and dragging a man out half-naked into the freezing cold in Saint Paul.
According to his sister-in-law, they returned him after realizing he’s a naturalized U.S. citizen with no criminal record. pic.twitter.com/g4ebFq6uF5
— Morgan J. Freeman (@mjfree) January 19, 2026
Thao and his family members have completely denied these claims. Thao told The Associated Press, “Neither they nor the property’s owner [is] listed in the Minnesota sex offender registry.”
This kind of situation has shaken not only Thao’s family but also others who are now worried about their human rights. The unprecedented power that ICE holds comes with obvious and alarming consequences.
