The sister-in-law of ChongLy Thao, a 56-year-old naturalized US citizen who was caught on camera being dragged out of his home by ICE officers, has started a GoFundMe to help cover “legal fees to pursue accountability and protect” his rights. A video of the incident shows Thao, who was barely clothed and only covered in a blanket, being led out of the house by ICE agents. He was wearing only boxer shorts and Crocs on his feet, and his family accused officers of refusing to let him put more clothes on despite the freezing temperature outside.
The DHS said in a statement that Thao “lives with these two convicted sex offenders at the site of the operation,” and was dragged out after he “refused to be fingerprinted or facially ID’d.” “As with any law enforcement agency, it is standard protocol to hold all individuals in a house of an operation for safety of the public and law enforcement,” DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.
DHS published wanted posters for two men targeted in the investigation, one of who previously lived at the house but moved out, relatives close to the situation revealed, describing him as the ex-husband of a member of the Thao family.
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Thao’s family, however, dismissed the DHS’ claims, saying in a statement, according to social media posts, that Thao “does not live with, nor has he ever lived with, the individuals DHS claims were targets of this operation.”
Elon Musk shared the DHS’ clarification on X, and wrote, “It is pure evil for people to stop the arrest of child predators”.
ChongLy Thao GoFundMe
Thao’s sister-in-law, Louansee Moua, called the incident a “traumatic and life-altering event that should never happen to anyone” in a statement in the GoFundMe page. “Without showing a warrant or asking for identification, multiple armed agents entered the apartment, pointed guns at the family, and handcuffed ChongLy inside his own home. His 5-year-old grandson was napping on the sofa, woke up crying in fear, witnessing armed officers storm his home,” she wrote.
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“ChongLy was taken outside in freezing weather wearing only underwear and Crocs, placed into an SUV, and driven around for nearly an hour while being questioned. Only after fingerprinting and running his information did ICE confirm what should have been known from the start — he is a U.S. citizen and had NO criminal record. He was dropped back at home with no apology and no explanation,” she added.
Moua added that Thao was just physically injured, but the “emotional and psychological harm has been profound.” She claimed that the incident traumatized Thao’s daughter-in-law, who feared for her child’s safety, and that she now needs professional therapy.
“ChongLy also lives with severe psoriasis, a chronic condition that is significantly worsened by extreme stress. Since the incident, his health and emotional well-being have declined,” wrote Moua.
At the time of writing this article, $55,861 had been raised of the 100K goal.