ICE St. Paul Arrests Laotian National Chue Moua in Targeted Sexual Predator Operation
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in St. Paul have arrested Chue Moua, a national of Laos, identifying him as a “criminal illegal alien” convicted of using a computer to facilitate child sex crimes. The arrest was part of a broader targeted enforcement effort in Minnesota over the weekend aimed at individuals with criminal convictions and outstanding removal orders. According to the Department of Homeland Security, Moua was taken into custody alongside several other foreign nationals with convictions ranging from criminal sexual conduct to felony burglary.
This enforcement action occurs against a backdrop of complex diplomatic and historical relations between the United States and Laos. Minnesota is home to one of the largest Hmong and Laotian populations in the country, a community largely established by refugees fleeing the “Secret War” in Southeast Asia during the 1970s. For years, deportations to Laos were rare due to a lack of repatriation agreements, but recent diplomatic shifts have increased the removal of individuals with final deportation orders, even those who arrived in the U.S. as children.
The operation has drawn sharp criticism from local community leaders and civil rights advocacy groups who raise objections regarding ICE’s recent tactics in the Twin Cities. Tensions in St. Paul are currently elevated following reports from earlier this month involving the temporary detention of a U.S. citizen during a similar raid, which prompted accusations of racial profiling and warrantless entry. Advocates argue that aggressive removal operations retraumatize a refugee community that has already endured significant historical displacement. Furthermore, legal observers often characterize the deportation of individuals who have already completed their prison sentences as a form of “double punishment,” permanently exiling them from their families and the only homes they have known.
Despite these objections, ICE officials maintain that such operations are essential for public safety. In their statement regarding the recent arrests, federal authorities emphasized that they specifically targeted individuals with serious criminal histories, including registered sexual predators, to prevent recidivism and protect local communities. Moua remains in federal custody pending removal proceedings.
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