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An Indian American physician, Dr Nisha Patel, alleged in a post on X that her mother was harassed by ICE agents while shopping at a Texas outlet mall. Patel said the agents assumed her mother spoke Spanish and aggressively questioned her about where she was from, before allowing her to leave only after she showed a photo of her US passport.
Indian-origin physician Dr Nisha Patel alleged her mother, a US citizen, was let go by ICE agents after she showed them her US passport. (Image: X/File)
New Delhi,UPDATED: Jan 27, 2026 19:56 IST
An ordinary shopping trip at a Texas outlet mall turned into a distressing encounter for the elderly mother of an Indian-origin doctor, after masked federal immigration agents stopped and questioned her because of her accent, despite her being a US citizen for nearly five decades.
The incident was shared by Dr Nisha Patel, a San Francisco-based physician, in a post on X. She alleged that officers from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) approached her mother while she was shopping, assumed she spoke Spanish and began questioning her in the language.
According to Patel, when her mother said she did not speak Spanish, the agents began aggressively demanding to know where she was "from", rapidly naming countries without giving her time to answer. Patel said her mother was only allowed to leave after showing a photograph of her US passport on her phone.
Patel described the episode as emblematic of a broader problem, arguing that current immigration enforcement actions are affecting not just undocumented migrants but also citizens, families and communities across the US.
WHAT ARE NISHA PATEL'S ALLEGATIONS?
"My mom was stopped and harassed by masked ICE agents while shopping at an outlet mall in Texas," Patel wrote. "Because she has an accent, they assumed she spoke Spanish and started talking to her in Spanish."
She added, "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 said her mother tried to remain calm and told the agents she had lived in the US longer than some of them had been alive. "She was only allowed to leave after showing a photo of her US passport on her phone," she said.
GROWING IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN IN THE US
The incident comes amid an intensified immigration crackdown under President Donald Trump's administration, with ICE activity expanding into everyday public spaces such as malls and city streets.
The crackdown has been linked to at least two fatal shootings of US citizens, including Minneapolis residents Alex Pretti and Renee Good, triggering protests in cities such as Minneapolis, New York City, San Francisco and Boston. Demonstrators have called for federal immigration agents to withdraw from Democratic-run states.
Indian nationals are among the most affected by the ICE crackdown. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, during FY 2024, 1,368 Indians were deported for immigration violations. By late 2025, more than 3,258 additional Indians had been deported.
INTERNATIONAL CONCERN OVER ENFORCEMENT TACTICS
The United Nations has also raised concerns over US immigration enforcement. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Trk said people suspected of being undocumented migrants are being surveilled, arrested and detained, sometimes with force.
"I am astounded by the now routine abuse and denigration of migrants and refugees," Trk said, warning that current policies risk arbitrary arrests, flawed deportation decisions and unlawful enforcement actions.
Patel concluded her post with a stark warning. "She is a US citizen. She has lived in this country for 47 years. If you think this is just about 'sending criminals back,' you are dead wrong."
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Published By:
Shounak Sanyal
Published On:
Jan 27, 2026
