Patricia Krentcil, better known as “Tan Mom,” is taking aim at President Donald Trump after claiming a frightening encounter with immigration agents (ICE) nearly ended with her being handcuffed and taken away. Interestingly enough, Krentcil is also a staunch Republican from Florida who ran for senator back in 2024, and despite her affiliations, she had no qualms about criticizing ICE and Trump.
Krentcil, who became an internet sensation in 2012 because of her famously dark tan, recounted the alleged incident during a recent episode of her “Light Tan Up” podcast with co-host Adam Barta and guest Tom Arnold. According to Krentcil, she was leaving a restaurant with her girlfriends when ICE agents approached her and questioned her.
“They asked me, am I an American citizen and I’m, like, ‘yes’, you know. It blew my mind,” recalled Krentcil. “Because I was so tanned, they were about to handcuff me and take me away God knows where because once you get in those trucks, you don’t know where you’re going anymore.”
She said she confirmed that she was a U.S. citizen but claimed the encounter nearly escalated to an arrest. Krentcil believes her unusually dark complexion prompted the questioning, describing the experience as terrifying and saying she had no idea where she might have been taken.
Despite her fear, she claimed she stood her ground and ultimately avoided being detained. Because of the alleged incident, the reality television personality also criticized Trump, accusing the president and his administration of supporting “all this nonsense” and describing the alleged treatment from ICE as racist.
Critics Questioned Her Choices
Krentcil’s account has attracted attention online, although the details of the encounter have not been independently verified. Social media users also seized on Krentcil’s appearance, with many responding to the story with jokes about her signature tan. “I heard she was suspected of falling into Willy Wonka’s river of chocolate,” one Facebook user commented.
Another commenter joked, “I heard she was suspected of falling into Willy Wonka’s river of chocolate,” while another stated that somebody had taken the term “brown nosing” a little too seriously, and suggested the agents might have been from animal control rather than ICE. Others questioned whether her complexion could reasonably be described as a tan.
Some critics were more skeptical of the story itself, writing, “I’ll take things that never happened for 1000 Alex.” Krentcil first became widely known after facing child-endangerment charges in 2012 over allegations that she had allowed her six-year-old daughter to use a tanning bed. She denied the allegations, and a grand jury declined to indict her.
Krentcil has also previously ventured into politics, announcing a bid for the U.S. Senate in Florida in 2023. Running as a Republican against incumbent Sen. Rick Scott in the 2024 election cycle, she pledged to support LGBTQ+ equality and diversity in classrooms.
The latest controversy has once again brought the reality TV personality into the spotlight, this time over her claims of being questioned by immigration agents and her criticism of Trump’s response to immigration enforcement.
