Ramsey Co. investigation possible crimes by federal agents
Ramsey County officials on Monday announced an inquiry into potential crimes by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents during the arrest of an American citizen in St. Paul.
Ramsey County Attorney John Choi and Sheriff Bob Fletcher are asking for information from the Department of Homeland Security regarding the Jan. 18 arrest of ChongLy Scott Thao, who was taken from his home by ICE while wearing nothing but underwear and sandals.
Thao told the Associated Press ICE agents forced their way into his home and abducted him at gunpoint, drove him “to the middle of nowhere,” and dropped him back at his house after more than an hour.
Homeland Security officials claimed they were searching for two Laotian men who lived with Thao, but he and his family have denied knowing the targets. One of the men, Lue Moua, was being held in a Minnesota prison at the time of Thao’s arrest.
Choi and Fletcher say there is evidence to suggest ICE’s actions could be prosecuted for crimes of kidnapping, burglary and false imprisonment, but they say there are several elements they need before any charges can be brought.
Choi’s office submitted a Touhy demand — a formal letter seeking information from the federal government — in March regarding the incident, to request the names of the officers involved and whether they had a warrant for Thao’s arrest. The federal government has not sent a response.
“There are many facts we don’t know yet, but there is one we do know: Mr. Thao is and has been an American citizen,” Fletcher said. “There’s not a dispute over that. There’s no dispute that he was taken out of his house — forcibly taken out of his home and driven around.”
Choi and Fletcher said local ICE officials had told them they were not authorized to share any information on the incident and that any inquiries would have to be referred to Washington.
It could take a while to get the information Choi’s office needs to bring formal charges, but Ramsey County’s top prosecutor held firm that his office would not be deterred by stall tactics.
“We are not going to let this go,” he said.
If Homeland Security does not comply with Ramsey County’s Touhy demand, Choi said his office would explore other avenues to secure evidence. That could mean convening a Ramsey County grand jury, filing a lawsuit in federal court or joining existing litigation brought by the State of Minnesota and Hennepin County.
In a statement, a Homeland Security spokesperson said, “ICE does not ‘kidnap’ people.” The spokesperson went on to defend the operation at Thao’s home without acknowledging that one of the targets was in prison with an active ICE detainer.
“DHS law enforcement officers were executing a warrant. Through surveillance and intelligence information, law enforcement concluded sexual predator targets had ties to the property,” the spokesperson said. “The US citizen was at house when the warrant was served. The individual refused to be fingerprinted or facially ID’d. As with any law enforcement agency, it is standard protocol to hold all individuals in a house of an operation for safety of the public and law enforcement.”
