She says ICE mistook her tan for a reason to question her citizenship.
New Jersey’s infamous “Tan Mom,” Patricia Krentcil, said “racist” ICE agents questioned whether she was a US citizen simply because of her deeply tanned skin.
Krentcil, who became widely known after her 2012 arrest for allegedly bringing her 5-year-old daughter into a tanning bed, told the podcast Light that she was nearly handcuffed while dining at a restaurant with friends. She did not say where or when the alleged encounter took place.
“As we were walking out, the ICE people stopped me and they asked me, ‘Am I an American citizen?’ And I’m like, ‘Yes.’ It blew my mind,” she said.
“Because I was so tan, they were about to handcuff me and take me away to God knows where. Because once you get in those trucks, you don’t know where you’re going anymore.”
SEE ALSO: Richard Sherman’s Wife Ashley Moss: Her Business Ventures in 2026
Krentcil also criticized President Trump for supporting what she called “all this nonsense.”
“I was scared, but I held my own and I got out of the situation — but they’re very racist about color and nationality,” she added.
ICE has previously denied engaging in unconstitutional racial profiling during enforcement operations.
In April 2012, Krentcil was arrested and charged with second-degree child endangerment after her daughter arrived at school with sunburns.
The charges were dropped the following February after an Essex County grand jury declined to indict her.
The avid tanning enthusiast has since become a podcast host and now lives in — fittingly — the Sunshine State.
