Kaohly Her, sworn in days before ICE agents dragged a Hmong American grandfather into sub-zero cold, now confronts the Trump administration’s largest immigration sweep—testing her city’s sanctuary resolve and her own historic mandate.
Kaohly Her was still learning the mayor’s parking-lot code when her phone lit up with a Facebook video that would jolt her third day in office: immigration agents breaking down a door, hauling 57-year-old ChongLy Scott Thao—socks nowhere, blanket flapping—into 10-degree darkness.
Thao, a naturalized citizen who arrived in Minnesota as a refugee four decades ago, is Her’s friend’s brother-in-law. In the nation’s largest Hmong enclave, the footage felt like a personal raid on every household that once fled Laos after America’s secret war.
From Refugee Safe Haven to ICE Bull’s-Eye
St. Paul’s east side is home to roughly 30,000 Hmong Americans—Pew Research confirms the largest urban concentration in the country. Since December, the Department of Homeland Security has flooded the Twin Cities with 3,000 officers, launching the biggest immigration operation in Minnesota history.
The sweep has netted more than 3,000 arrests—DHS claims many are “dangerous offenders,” yet local data remains sealed. KARE 11 documented citizens pulled over for “driving while Asian,” including an off-duty Brooklyn Park police officer whose phone was knocked away when she tried to record agents with drawn guns.
‘They’re Going Door-to-Door by Accent’
Her, a Democrat who unseated incumbent Melvin Carter in November, says constituents now text her videos of agents circling apartment complexes at dawn. “They’re targeting you by the way you look and the way you sound,” she told KARE. “Nobody comes into office day three and faces an ICE shooting.”
DHS counters that “allegations of racial profiling are categorically FALSE,” citing Fourth-Amendment “reasonable suspicion.” But the agency’s own press release touting Sunday’s raid lists “two men from Laos” wanted for sex offenses—neither named Thao.
Thao’s family insists no warrant was shown and that the only residents were Thao, his son, daughter-in-law, and toddler grandson. After hours in custody, ICE returned Thao without charges, offering no apology.
Legal Warfare: Subpoenas Fly as Minnesota Sues
Within 72 hours of the video’s release, the state of Minnesota—joined by Minneapolis and St. Paul—sued the federal government to halt the surge. The Justice Department retaliated with subpoenas to Governor Tim Walz, Mayor Jacob Frey, and Mayor Her, alleging obstruction of immigration enforcement.
“When the federal government weaponizes its power to intimidate local leaders for doing their jobs, every American should be concerned,” Frey said. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, also subpoenaed, called the move “highly irregular” and vowed to defend the lawsuit.
Historical Echo: 1976 Evacuations Replayed in Reverse
For older Hmong residents, the imagery of armed men forcing families into cold darkness revives memories of 1975 CIA airlifts—when Hmong allies who fought for America were evacuated just steps ahead of communist Pathet Lao reprisals. “We were promised safety then; now we’re told to prove citizenship in our own driveway,” says community advocate Louansee Moua, whose Facebook post first alerted Her.
What Happens Next
- St. Paul’s city attorney will argue in federal court this month that the ICE deployment violates the 10th Amendment by commandeering local resources.
- DHS plans to keep 1,500 agents in Minnesota indefinitely, promising weekly “targeted operations.”
- Her has scheduled a town-hall livestream for Friday, translating the event live into Hmong and Lao for elders who don’t speak English.
Bottom line: A mayor sworn in on a promise of inclusive policing now faces a constitutional showdown with a president who campaigned on mass deportations. Whether St. Paul’s Hmong enclave remains a sanctuary may hinge on how quickly Her can convert outrage into restraining orders—and votes into leverage.
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