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ICE Raid on U.S. Citizen Sparks St. Paul Protest, Leading to Federal Indictments

Jan 20, 2026·Location: Saint Paul, MN

ICE Raid on U.S. Citizen Sparks St. Paul Protest, Leading to Federal Indictments
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On January 18, 2026, ICE agents conducted a raid on the home of ChongLy Scott Thao, a U.S. citizen with no criminal record, in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Agents pointed guns at family members and handcuffed Thao without presenting a warrant; after confirming his citizenship through fingerprinting, ICE released him without apology or explanation. The incident occurred in front of his 5-year-old grandson. The raid prompted a protest at Cities Church in St. Paul, where one of the pastors worked for ICE. Subsequently, 30 protesters have been indicted on federal crimes, along with civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong and journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort for their roles in the demonstration.

Timeline

Jan 20, 2026—Federal indictments filed against 30 protesters, attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong, and journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort for their roles in the demonstration.
Jan 19, 2026—Protesters gathered at Cities Church in St. Paul to demonstrate against the ICE raid.
Jan 18, 2026—ICE agents raided U.S. citizen ChongLy Scott Thao's Saint Paul home, pointing guns at family members and handcuffing him without a warrant before releasing him after confirming citizenship.
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