And I’m not talking about the frigid temperatures and storm predictions.

What is happening in Minnesota is beyond inhumane. It is insane. Someone may accuse me of being biased and subjective, but we now have learned that the video-taped action of ICE agents breaking down the door of the home of ChongLy “Scott” Thao, a US citizen, and removing him from the home in nothing but his underwear and crocs (and handcuffs)–all without a judicial warrant, was not the act of a few rogue ICE officers. It was the implementation of prescribed tactics and training authorized by ICE and DHS leadership.

Yesterday, the Associated Press obtained a copy of an internal 24-page ICE memo. The memo, signed by Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons on May 21, 2025, authorizes its agents to use force to enter a residence based on an “administrative warrant” (one signed not by a judge but by an ICE administrator) to arrest someone with a final order of removal.

As a citizen of the United States, Mr. Thao should have had the protection of the 4th Amendment of the US Constitution, which states: “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probably cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be search and the persons or things to be seized.”

The probable cause claimed by ICE that permitted agents to break down Mr. Thao’s door was a suspicion that two men with criminal convictions were residing in the house. The only people in the house witnessing ICE agents break into the house with guns drawn were Thao’s daughter-in-law and his 4-year-old grandson.

Whether you live in Minneapolis, Indianapolis, Annapolis, or any other polis (Greek word meaning ‘city’), this incident and ICE’s extrajudicial memo should send chills down your spine. Citizenship is no longer a protection. The rights outlined in the US Constitution are no longer guaranteed. The guardrails of rules-based law enforcement no longer apply to federal agents who can act illegally with impunity.

Unless we demand that our elected leaders step up to demand accountability and place tough restrictions on ICE leadership, you can be sure that your state and your city will experience the same trauma as Minnesota or worse. Your door may be next.