Critics of President Donald Trump’s administration have raised concerns after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents allegedly removed an American citizen without a criminal history from his home during a raid over the weekend.
Footage from the incident in St. Paul, Minnesota, surfaced online, depicting federal agents escorting an elderly man—dressed in just shorts and Crocs—with a blanket over his shoulders through the snow to a federal vehicle.
According to reports, the man’s family requested a Hmong interpreter.
Columnist Jill Filipovic commented, “Tax money goes toward parading half-naked elderly people in the snow.”
Political commentator Ed Klassenstein expressed his outrage, stating that the situation was undeniably “disgusting,” especially given the man’s citizenship and clean record.
Klassenstein recounted, “Without a valid warrant, armed ICE agents broke down the door, entered with guns drawn, and handcuffed my 5-year-old grandson in front of him. He was crying and traumatized.” He continued by mentioning that ICE detained the elderly man for nearly an hour, during which he was interrogated, fingerprinted, and ultimately confirmed as a citizen before being sent home without any apology or explanation.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin responded to the backlash by labeling Klassenstein’s post as “fear-mongering,” clarifying that ICE was targeting two convicted sex offenders.
She noted that one of the offenders had convictions related to sexual conduct with a minor and sexual assault, while the other was convicted of first-degree penetrative sexual assault. Both had also failed to register as sex offenders and were under final orders of removal from an immigration judge.
McLaughlin stressed that the public may be living near these offenders and added that the elderly man detained matched the description of the target. “As a standard procedure for safety, it is normal to confine everyone present at the location of operations,” she explained.
“Both of these sexual predators remain at large in St. Paul, and we plan to release photos and descriptions to aid in their capture,” she stated.
