St. Paul, Minnesota – An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent entered a Thai restaurant in St. Paul with his handgun drawn while claiming to search for a “kid,” according to the restaurant’s owners and video footage recorded inside the business. The incident, which occurred on Jan. 19, has intensified concerns about aggressive immigration enforcement tactics in Minnesota and sparked renewed criticism from local officials and community leaders. The encounter was first reported by USA TODAY.
Video Shows Armed Agent Entering Restaurant
Security footage from Eastside Thai shows a federal agent exiting a vehicle, drawing his firearm, and entering the restaurant moments after a person is seen running past the front door. According to co-owner Elle Lee, the agent was “shouting at us” as he entered the establishment.
The restaurant’s other owner, Kou Lee, wrote in a Facebook post that the agent accused the business of “hiding the kid.” A customer identified online as Sherminator Vang said agents had been circling the block before the incident.
The video shows the agent leaving the restaurant briefly, then returning with his weapon still unholstered. After speaking with Elle Lee at the entrance, he left again and returned to his vehicle.
Owners Say Staff and Customers Were Traumatized
Cellphone video recorded after the incident shows a vehicle left near an intersection outside the restaurant. Kou Lee later said no one inside was physically harmed, but the emotional impact was significant.
“My business was disrupted, and now my staff are hesitant to come to work,” Elle Lee said. “People are showing up worried and scared.”
The owners said multiple employees and customers were traumatized by the encounter. Requests for additional comment from the restaurant owners were still pending at the time of reporting.
Federal Agencies and City Officials Respond
The Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Customs and Border Protection were contacted for comment regarding the incident.
St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her did not immediately respond but said in a Jan. 21 interview with PBS NewsHour that residents are “afraid, frustrated, and angry.”
Tensions Rising Across the Twin Cities
The restaurant incident comes amid heightened scrutiny of immigration enforcement in the Twin Cities. Aggressive operations have increasingly shaped daily life in the area, particularly after an ICE agent fatally shot resident Renee Nicole Good.
In a Jan. 18 interview on CBS News’ Face the Nation, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey described immigration agents in the city as an “occupying force.”
Local Police Say Residents Are Being Targeted
During a Jan. 20 news conference, Mark Bruley, chief of the Brooklyn Park Police Department, said American citizens have been stopped by federal agents without cause and forced to provide documentation.
“I wish I could tell you this was an isolated incident,” Bruley said. “If it is happening to our officers, it pains me to think of how many community members are falling victim to this every day.”
Bruley added that even off-duty local police officers have been confronted by federal agents.
Healthcare Access Also Impacted, Advocates Say
Medical professionals have raised concerns that federal enforcement actions are preventing people from seeking healthcare. Erin Stevens, chair of the legislative committee for the Minnesota chapter of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, said fear is widespread.
“Many of our patients fear leaving their homes for access to healthcare,” Stevens said. “They express to us a feeling of being hunted.”
Protests and “ICE Out” Movement Gain Momentum
An “ICE OUT!” poster visible in the restaurant video refers to a planned statewide shutdown in Minnesota on Jan. 23. The protest calls on residents to avoid work, school, and shopping while urging businesses to close in solidarity.
Organizers are demanding that federal agents be removed from the state and that Jonathan Ross, the agent who killed Good, be prosecuted. Similar demonstrations have taken place nationwide in recent weeks, driven largely by grassroots anti-Trump organizations.
On Jan. 20, the Department of Justice announced it would investigate an anti-ICE protest that disrupted a church service in St. Paul on Jan. 18, underscoring the escalating conflict between federal authorities and local communities.
Incident Adds to Growing Scrutiny of ICE Tactics
The St. Paul restaurant encounter has become another flashpoint in an ongoing debate over immigration enforcement methods, public safety, and civil liberties. Community leaders say incidents involving armed agents in everyday public spaces are deepening fear and mistrust across Minnesota, with no clear resolution yet in sight.
