'Tan Mom' Claims ICE Nearly Detained Her After Mistaking Her for an Illegal Immigrant Because of Her Extreme Tan
Patricia Krentcil, New Jersey's notorious 'Tan Mom', has claimed that because of her famously deep bronzed skin, federal immigration agents questioned her American citizenship and nearly handcuffed and detained her. She described the bizarre experience on the 'Light. Tan. Up.' podcast.
According to Krentcil's account, officers from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) stopped her as she was leaving a restaurant with girlfriends. She recounted the incident during an appearance on the podcast alongside actor Tom Arnold.
Krentcil said, 'As we're walking out, the ICE people stopped me and they asked me, "Am I an American citizen?" And I'm like, "Yes." You know, like it blew my mind.' She claims the matter did not end there.
According to the longtime bronzing enthusiast, the encounter nearly took a turn even darker than her tan. In her words, 'Because I was so tan, they were about to handcuff me ... and take me away. God knows where.' She also expressed fear that she could have been detained and taken to an unknown place.
Krentcil also said, 'Once you get in those trucks, you don't know where you're going anymore. I was scared, but I held my own and I got out of the situation.' She described the whole incident as 'terrifying'.
She also accused the immigration authorities of discriminatory behaviour, claiming, 'But they're very racist about color and nationalities and stuff like that.' Through this comment she suggested she had been suspected simply because of the colour of her skin.
Importantly, however, the truth of this allegation has not yet been independently verified. Krentcil did not specify when or where the alleged encounter occurred. The report also noted that Fox News Digital has not independently verified her account.
ICE did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment on the alleged incident. As a result, no statement from the immigration agency on this claim is yet available.
Krentcil's deep bronzed complexion has attracted national attention for more than a decade. Her unusually bronzed tan brought her to the centre of tabloid discussion and made the name 'Tan Mom' famous.
Her rise to notoriety began in 2012. That year, authorities accused her of bringing her then five-year-old daughter into a tanning bed at a New Jersey salon. After her daughter reportedly arrived at school with sunburns, she was arrested and charged with second-degree child endangerment, sparking a media frenzy over her extreme tanning habits and parenting.
The case ultimately ended without an indictment. In February 2013 an Essex County grand jury declined to indict Krentcil, and the charges were dropped.
Krentcil has since traded New Jersey for Florida. She now lives in the Sunshine State, the woman whose famously deep tan once made her a tabloid sensation. Her new claim on the podcast has brought her back into discussion amid the ongoing debate over immigration enforcement in the United States — although the truth of the claim remains unverified.
