Bulwark Takes: "ICE Dragged an Old Man Into the Snow. Now DHS Is Lying About It."

Date: January 20, 2026
Host(s): Sam Stein (Managing Editor, The Bulwark), Tim Miller
Main Theme:
An in-depth and urgent discussion about a viral video showing ICE agents forcibly removing a frail elderly Hmong man, Shangli Scott Tao, from his Minnesota home in freezing weather—despite his being a U.S. citizen with no criminal record. Sam and Tim examine the event, the government's response, and broader issues of law enforcement overreach and accountability.

Episode Overview

Sam Stein and Tim Miller dissect a disturbing ICE raid in Minnesota, focusing on the mistreatment of an elderly Hmong man falsely detained as a suspected “illegal alien.” The hosts challenge the official DHS narrative, discuss societal and political implications, analyze the impact on immigrant communities, and highlight the administration's pattern of defending law enforcement misconduct.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Incident: ICE Raid on Shangli Scott Tao

[01:05-04:53]

• Summary:

  • Video shows ICE agents storming the home of Shangli Scott Tao on January 18, 2026, around 1:30 pm.
  • Tao, a U.S. citizen with no criminal record, is dragged out of his house in just a bathrobe and underwear in the freezing Minnesota winter.
  • He is detained in an SUV, questioned for an hour, fingerprinted, and then returned home after agents confirm he is a U.S. citizen—with no apology or explanation.
  • The incident was recorded and has gone viral due to its shocking nature.

• Key Observations:

  • The sheer number of ICE agents (seven or eight) involved is described as "over the top and not required."
  • Tao's humiliation and the risk to his health are characterized as unnecessary and inhumane.

• Quote:

  • "Once you've stormed the house with the jackbooted thugs...maybe you could have a moment to think, well, it's possible we should let this frail, old elderly person have a moment to put on his jacket at least before we perp walk him outside his home." — Tim Miller [03:20]
  • "They paraded this guy in front of his neighborhood, humiliated him, endangered his health. Who needs to be out there at that age in that weather? It's awful, awful, awful treatment, totally necessary." — Sam Stein [05:00]

2. Context: The Hmong Community & Broader Law Enforcement Patterns

[02:20-04:34]

• Discussion:

  • Minnesota has a significant Hmong immigrant population, many of whom were previously soft Republican supporters and are now facing discrimination and unjust treatment from law enforcement.
  • Reference to "Gran Torino" as a metaphor for American prejudice and eventual cultural acceptance, contrasting the film’s message with the real-life treatment of the Hmong community.

• Quote:

  • "There's no reason to think this guy possibly could have been a danger." — Tim Miller [03:08]

3. DHS and ICE Protocols Under Scrutiny

[05:10-08:11]

• Summary:

  • The agents did not present a warrant or ask for identification upon entering the home.
  • Guns were drawn on the family; Tao’s five-year-old grandson was terrified.
  • Tao was left out in "underwear and Crocs" in the freezing cold, subjected to rough treatment.

• Debunking Justifications:

  • The hosts refute DHS justifications that such aggressive behavior is necessary in law enforcement.
  • They attack statistics cited by defenders (e.g., Kristi Noem's claim that 75% of those detained have criminal records), noting that ICE’s own stats show only 47% have any record.

• Quote:

  • "This is just time and time again extremely gratuitous mistakes. Going after people that have done nothing and, and doing so in, in the most aggressive and, and way possible, in a way that is a total attack on their rights as citizens." — Tim Miller [07:10]

4. Challenging the Official Narrative: DHS Response & Family Statement

[10:40-14:45]

• DHS Claim:

  • Spokesperson Trisha McLaughlin asserts ICE was targeting two convicted sex offenders allegedly living at Tao’s home.
  • Claims Tao “matched the description” of the targets and was “not cooperative.”

• Hosts’ Rebuttal:

  • Tim and Sam highlight contradictions and the implausibility of DHS’s explanation, seeing it as racial profiling and face-saving.
  • Point out that none of the supposed sex offenders were apprehended.

• Quote:

  • "She has been caught lying so many times, so many times that you cannot take—it's irresponsible to take what she says seriously." — Sam Stein [10:36]
  • "How is it possible you can refuse to be facially id'd when you've handcuffed an old man in his home?" — Tim Miller [11:03]
  • "I guess it's possible that three 80 year old Hmong men all live in the same home and two of them are sex offenders and one is not. But that seems extremely implausible to me." — Tim Miller [11:25]

• Family’s Statement (Read by Sam at [13:01]):

  • Categorically denies DHS claims:
    • Mr. Tao does NOT and has never lived with the alleged targets.
    • Only his immediate family lives in the house.
    • ICE did not present a warrant or ask for ID.
    • Tao suffers from severe psoriasis, worsened by extreme cold and stress.
    • Family is seeking legal action via ACLU and Attorney General Keith Ellison.

5. Larger Questions: Law Enforcement Accountability and Government Defense

[14:49-16:31]

• Question:

  • Sam posits whether there’s anything ICE could do that the administration wouldn’t defend.
  • Tim’s answer: Highly doubtful; the administration is “going around the bend to defend heinous choice after heinous choice.”

• Civil Rights Probe:

  • The conversation ties the incident to the larger backdrop of police violence, notably the Renee Good killing in Minneapolis.
  • FBI—not the DOJ—is opening a civil rights probe into that shooting, highlighting broader issues of accountability.

• Quote:

  • "It's a rogue agency that can do whatever the hell it wants, including this." — Sam Stein [16:10]
  • "They're not investigating allies, period. End of story. Corruption, crypto. They're not doing public corruption investigations at all." — Tim Miller [16:31]

6. Reflections and Cultural Asides

[17:14–18:28]

• A lighter cultural aside about “Gran Torino” and the infamous Clint Eastwood “empty chair” moment at the 2012 GOP convention.

• Tim shares an anecdote about RNC Chairman Reince Priebus keeping the chair in his office.

• Quote:

  • "Gran Torino is a great movie and I think that we could all use a little bit of soul warming, you know... maybe that does anything to help the Hmong community right now that's being menaced by our government." — Tim Miller [17:17]

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “At no point did they do anything humane at all.” — Sam Stein [05:00]
• “It's a rogue agency that can do whatever the hell it wants, including this.” — Sam Stein [16:10]
• “You have 3,000. You've invaded a city with thousands of Agents, you can't find the people that you're looking for, but you've successfully detained many people that have did nothing wrong and are citizens. Not, not exactly, you know, you know, batting a thousand there.” — Tim Miller [12:21]
• Family statement summary denying DHS narrative — [13:01]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:05] — Opening, incident summary
• [03:20] — Overreaction and lack of humanity during ICE raid
• [05:00] — Inhumane treatment and failure to allow Tao to get dressed
• [06:00] — Details the warrantless, aggressive entry and impact on Tao’s family
• [10:36] — Grilling the veracity of Trisha McLaughlin (DHS spokesperson)
• [13:01] — Reading of family statement categorically denying DHS/ICE’s claims
• [14:49] — Broader question on institutional defense of ICE misconduct
• [16:10] — Civil rights investigation update and commentary about governmental accountability

Tone & Style

The conversation is urgent, irreverent, and unvarnished—explicitly critical of both ICE’s conduct and the government’s attempts at justification. The hosts mix dark humor, cultural references, and a sense of advocacy for the marginalized, all with a tone of clear outrage and incredulity.

Summary

This episode of Bulwark Takes delivers a pointed, sharp analysis of a viral ICE raid in Minnesota that forcibly and wrongly targeted an elderly U.S. citizen. The hosts meticulously debunk official excuses, highlight the trauma inflicted, and tie the incident to a worrying trend of governmental law enforcement excess—and the lack of accountability that enables it. The ongoing denial from ICE/DHS and the directly contradictory statement from Tao’s family indicate future legal action and continued scrutiny. As the hosts note, such events highlight the acute dangers facing immigrant communities and the fragility of civil rights when law enforcement is unrestrained and unrepentant.