Federal immigration enforcement actions in Minnesota have intensified scrutiny and protests after ICE officers broke into a St Paul home and detained a naturalized U.S. citizen, while demonstrations against the agency disrupted a church service and prompted a federal investigation.
The incidents unfolded amid a wider immigration crackdown by the Trump administration that has brought thousands of federal agents to the state and escalated tensions between authorities and protesters.
Images and videos from the weekend spread rapidly online, amplifying public concern over the scope and methods of federal enforcement.
Chong Ly Thao, 56, said ICE officers broke down his door with guns drawn, handcuffed him, and dragged him into the snow while he was wearing only boxer shorts and Crocs.
"I was praying. I was like, God, please help me, I didn't do anything wrong. Why do they do this to me? Without my clothes on," he told Reuters.
Thao, a Hmong man born in Laos and a U.S. citizen since 1991, was released and returned home later the same day without explanation.
The Department of Homeland Security said officers were investigating two convicted sex offenders linked to the address and detained Thao after he refused fingerprinting or facial identification.
DHS said he matched the description of the targets, while relatives said one suspect had previously lived at the home but moved out.
The incident occurred as temperatures in St Paul dropped to 14 degrees Fahrenheit, and Thao said he feared being sent to Laos, where he has no relatives.
The raid added momentum to ongoing anti-ICE protests across Minnesota, including a demonstration that disrupted a Sunday service at a St Paul church.
Protesters chanted slogans against ICE, alleging that one pastor was a local agency official, a claim DHS declined to confirm or deny.
The Justice Department said it is investigating the church disruption for potential civil rights violations, and President Donald Trump denounced the protesters as “agitators and insurrectionists.”
Elsewhere in Minneapolis, protests have continued near a federal headquarters, occasionally clashing with law enforcement.
A federal judge has issued an injunction limiting certain crowd control tactics by ICE agents, though the administration is appealing the order.
The developments reflect an expanding confrontation as enforcement actions and public opposition intensify simultaneously.