Ramsey County officials announced Monday they are investigating the arrest of a Hmong American man by federal immigration officers as a potential case of kidnapping, burglary and false imprisonment.

County Attorney John Choi and Sheriff Bob Fletcher said they will pursue information from the Department of Homeland Security needed for their investigation into the January arrest of ChongLy Scott Thao in St. Paul. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers broke open Thao's front door without a warrant and led him outside in freezing conditions wearing only underwear and a blanket, according to video footage of the incident.

Thao, a naturalized U.S. citizen with no criminal record, was released after several hours when agents realized their error. The Department of Homeland Security later said ICE officers had been seeking two convicted sex offenders, though Thao said he had never seen the men and they did not live with him.

The investigation comes amid broader tensions between Minnesota officials and federal authorities over immigration enforcement. The state and Hennepin County have sued the Trump administration to gain access to evidence for independent investigations into three shootings by federal officers in Minneapolis, including two that resulted in deaths of U.S. citizens.

Federal authorities have refused to cooperate with state investigations, prompting Minnesota and Hennepin County to appeal to the public for information about potentially illegal activities by federal officers. The Justice Department opened a federal civil rights investigation into one of the Minneapolis shootings but declined to investigate the other death.

The Trump administration has suggested Minnesota officials lack jurisdiction to investigate federal cases, while state and county prosecutors maintain they need to conduct independent inquiries due to concerns about federal oversight.