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DHS Confirms U.S. Citizen Detained in St. Paul ICE Operation, Defends Agents’ Actions

Officials cite standard safety measures during a search for two deportable sex offenders who remain at large.

Overview

  • Homeland Security official Tricia McLaughlin said the detained man is a U.S. citizen who lives at the address and was held after refusing fingerprinting or facial identification while matching the targets’ description.
  • Video from the weekend showed an elderly man in handcuffs wearing shorts and Crocs with a blanket over his shoulders as agents escorted him into a federal vehicle in snowy conditions.
  • DHS said the operation sought two noncitizens with final removal orders who have convictions including sexual assault, sex with a minor, domestic violence, and failure to register as sex offenders.
  • Critics accused ICE of a warrantless, forceful entry and humiliating treatment of a citizen with no criminal record, though independent confirmation of the warrant status and some details has not been published.
  • McLaughlin said both targets are still at large in St. Paul and that the agency will release photos and descriptors to solicit public assistance in locating them.