The Twin Cities — home to the largest urban Hmong community in the U.S. — have seen recent ICE operations that local leaders say are disproportionately affecting Hmong residents. A viral Jan. 19 video shows Chongly "Scott" Thao briefly detained and returned home; DHS says the operation targeted two convicted sex offenders, one of whom was later found in state custody. St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her and community advocates point to the Hmong community's long history of allied service with the U.S., urging transparency and cultural sensitivity in enforcement actions.
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Kaohly Her is sworn in as St. Paul's first Hmong and first woman mayor on Jan. 2, 2026Elizabeth Flores/The Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty
The Twin Cities of Minneapolis–St. Paul — home to the largest concentrated Hmong population in the United States — have recently seen Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity that community leaders and elected officials say is disproportionately affecting Hmong residents.
Viral Detention Raises Questions
On Jan. 19 a widely shared video showed ICE agents removing a shirtless man, later identified as 56-year-old Chongly "Scott" Thao, and leading him into freezing temperatures. Thao, who is Hmong, said agents drove him to what he described as the "middle of nowhere" before reviewing his identification and returning him home. He later said, "I was hoping God would save me. They didn't say anything. No sorry, anything."
Chongly "Scott" ThaoAP Photo/Jack Brook
Federal Response
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, Tricia McLaughlin, said ICE was conducting a targeted operation aimed at two convicted sex offenders and that it is standard protocol to briefly hold all individuals in a house of operation for the safety of the public and law enforcement. One of the men ICE reportedly sought, 52-year-old Lue Moua, was later located at Minnesota Corrections Facility–Faribault, where he has been incarcerated since September 2024.
Local Leaders Voice Concern
St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her, the city's first Hmong American mayor, testified at a federal immigration hearing that residents reported ICE agents going door-to-door and asking people where Asian and specifically Hmong neighbors lived. She said she had been advised to carry her passport out of concern she might be targeted because of her appearance. "Saint Paul has been under siege by ICE starting back in June already," Her told The Guardian, describing an escalation of enforcement activity following high-profile incidents in the region.
Kaohly Her was elected the mayor of St. Paul, Minnesota, on Nov. 4, 2025, the first woman, first Asian American, and first Hmong American to hold the positionLeila Navidi/The Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty
Historical Context: The Hmong and the United States
The Hmong are an ethnic group from parts of East and Southeast Asia. In China they are grouped within the broader Miao classification, which also includes groups such as the Hmao, Hmu and Xong; these groups today have distinct languages and cultures. Significant Hmong populations live in southwestern China, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar, with diaspora communities across the United States, Australia, France and parts of South America.
Large waves of Hmong migration to the United States began after the Vietnam War and the Laotian Civil War in the 1970s and continued after the Refugee Act of 1980. Many Hmong were granted expedited immigration because they fought alongside U.S. forces during the covert "Secret War" in Laos. Estimates suggest that between 30,000 and 40,000 Hmong soldiers died in that conflict, and many survivors fled to refugee camps in Thailand before resettling abroad.
Community Visibility and Notable Figures
The Hmong community has made visible contributions in U.S. public life. Gymnast Sunisa Lee, who grew up in St. Paul, became the first Hmong American Olympic champion when she won the all-around gold at the Tokyo Games (held in 2021) and later helped the U.S. women secure team gold in 2024. Actress Brenda Song, also of Hmong descent, is another widely recognized Hmong American. Such achievements are frequently cited by community leaders as sources of pride and affirmation of the Hmong community’s place in American life.
What’s Next
Local officials and advocates have called for clearer explanations from federal authorities about the scope and targeting of recent operations. The incidents have renewed scrutiny on how enforcement actions intersect with communities that have deep historical ties to the United States and have prompted calls for transparency, cultural sensitivity and safeguards to protect residents from mistaken detentions.
Key Voices: "ICE should learn a little history," Senator Sheldon Whitehouse wrote in a public thread, urging recognition of the Hmong role alongside U.S. forces. Mayor Kaohly Her has urged stronger local protections and clearer communication from federal agencies.
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