Republican woman obsessed with tanning says ICE agents nearly detained her after seeing her deep tan: ‘Blew my mind’

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents continue to prowl across states, hunting down immigrants who are allegedly overstaying their welcome in the country. But in their mission to detain individuals, some end up getting caught in the process unintentionally. That was the case for one Republican woman, who claimed her deep tan nearly led to her being detained by ICE agents during a night out.

Patricia Krentcil, an influencer dubbed “Tan Mom,” shared an experience she had with ICE agents during an episode of her podcast Light. Tan. Up. with Tan Mom & Adam Barta, released Wednesday. According to Krentcil, she was out with friends at a restaurant when, all of a sudden, ICE agents approached the group and began interrogating her.

“I was at a restaurant with my girlfriends, and I walked out with my friends as we were done eating, and the ICE people stopped me,” Krentcil said. The agents allegedly questioned Krentcil about where she was from, asking if she was an American citizen. “I’m, like, ‘Yes’, you know. It blew my mind.”

Krentcil says ICE is racist

Krentcil believes she was approached because they saw her skin tone, which was deeply tanned, and said the terrifying incident left her feeling scared—especially with the unrest surrounding where detained individuals get taken to. “Because I was so tan, they were about to handcuff me and take me away. God knows where,” Krentcil said. “Cause once you get in those trucks, you don’t know where you’re going anymore.”

Having experienced the situation herself, Krentcil accused ICE of being “very racist” when it comes to color and nationality. She also lambasted President Donald Trump and his administration for supporting “all this nonsense.”

This wasn’t the first time Krentcil had trouble with the law because of her love for tanning. According to CBS News, Krentcil was accused of child endangerment after she allegedly brought her then-five-year-old daughter into a tanning booth in April 2012.

Krentcil tried to run for Senate as a Republican

Krentcil denied the accusation, stating that the school nurse who filed the report had “made the worst mistake of her life,” according to LADbible. Ultimately, she did not face any formal charges. She also appeared intoxicated in public several times over the years, leading to police intervention.

Notably, Krentcil is a Republican and has even tried her hand at politics. Per Ballotpedia, Krentcil entered the race for the U.S. Senate in Florida, challenging fellow Republican and incumbent Senator Rick Scott in the 2024 general election. She eventually failed to make the ballot for the Republican primary.

Krentcil’s campaign included protecting LGBTQ rights by “ensuring all people are treated fairly and equally, including drag queen performers.” She also wanted to enact legislation that would protect high educational and historical value books, as well as put forth tax breaks for working moms and families.

Have a tip we should know? [email protected]