‘Tan Mom’ Claims ICE Agents Targeted Her Due to Dark Skin

Patricia Krentcil, widely known as “Tan Mom,” claims she was recently stopped by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents who questioned her citizenship due to her unusually dark skin tone. Krentcil, who gained notoriety in 2012 for an incident involving her young daughter and a tanning bed, recounted the encounter in an interview on the podcast “Light.”

According to Krentcil, the incident occurred as she was leaving a restaurant with friends. She stated that ICE agents approached her and asked if she was an American citizen. She expressed shock at the encounter, stating, “It blew my mind.” Krentcil alleged that the agents were on the verge of detaining her.

“Because I was so tan they were about to handcuff me and take me away to God knows where,” Krentcil said. “Cause once you get in those trucks, you don’t know where you’re going anymore.” She further characterized the agents' actions as “racist,” asserting that they were prejudiced based on skin color and nationality.

Krentcil also criticized former President Donald Trump, who she said supported “all this nonsense” related to ICE operations. ICE has previously issued statements denying that its enforcement operations engage in unconstitutional racial profiling.

Krentcil's past legal troubles include an arrest in April 2012 on child endangerment charges after her daughter reportedly attended school with sunburns. The charges were later dropped in February 2013 when an Essex County grand jury declined to indict her. Since then, Krentcil has pursued a career as a podcast host and reportedly resides in Florida.