An Indian-origin doctor based in the United States has alleged that her elderly mother, an American citizen, was stopped and questioned by masked immigration officers at an outlet mall in Texas, in what she claims was an incident driven by racial profiling rather than legal status.
San Francisco-based physician Nisha Patel shared the account on X, stating that officers from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) approached her mother while she was shopping. According to Patel, the agents assumed her mother spoke Spanish because of her accent and began questioning her in Spanish.
“When she said she doesn’t speak Spanish, they began demanding where she was ‘from,’ rapidly listing countries without even giving her a chance to respond,” Patel wrote.
Patel said her mother calmly explained that she had lived in the United States for decades and was a US citizen. However, she was only allowed to leave after showing a photograph of her US passport on her phone.
“My mom told them she’s been in this country longer than some of them have been alive,” Patel said, adding that her mother has lived in the US for 47 years.
The post comes amid heightened scrutiny of ICE enforcement practices, with multiple reports of American citizens being stopped or questioned during immigration operations. Patel rejected claims that such actions are limited to targeting undocumented criminals.
“She is a US citizen. If you think this is just about ‘sending criminals back,’ you are dead wrong,” she wrote.
In recent weeks, ICE operations have triggered protests across several US cities. Demonstrations have followed the fatal shooting of Minneapolis resident Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents earlier this week, as well as the killing of Renee Good earlier this month. Protests have been reported in Minneapolis, New York City, San Francisco, Boston and other locations.
Indians Among Largest Groups in ICE Detention
Indian nationals continue to be among the largest groups detained by ICE. During the 2024 fiscal year, 2,647 Indians were held for immigration violations such as visa overstays or illegal entry, making them the fourth-largest nationality in ICE custody. By late 2025, more than 3,258 additional Indian nationals had been detained.
US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance have defended federal immigration actions, stating that ICE deployments are necessary to curb what they describe as widespread crime and fraud in several states.
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