An Indian-origin doctor in the United States has reported that federal immigration agents stopped and questioned her elderly mother at a retail mall in Texas because of her accent, despite the woman presenting a valid United States passport.
Dr. Nisha Patel, MD MS, Dipl of ABOM, CCMS, of San Francisco posted on the social media platform X that the incident involved officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) while her mother was shopping at an outlet mall. Patel wrote that the agents first spoke to the woman in Spanish, assuming that she understood the language because of her accent. When she responded that she did not speak Spanish, the officers began asking where she was “from,” listing countries quickly without allowing her to answer.
According to Patel, her mother identified herself as a long-time resident of the United States who holds citizenship. She told the agents that she had lived in the country for longer than some of the officers had been alive. The woman was permitted to leave only after she showed a photo of her U.S. passport stored on her phone.
The doctor’s account described the interaction as harassment tied to her mother’s accent rather than any indication of unlawful presence or status. Patel’s post stated that her mother is a U.S. citizen and has lived in the country for 47 years.
Such interactions, particularly when tied to perceived accent or ethnicity, can have broader public health implications. Research shows that discrimination, whether based on perceived race, ethnicity, language proficiency, or other factors, is linked with negative mental health outcomes including anxiety, depression, and psychological distress. Studies have found that people exposed to discrimination are at increased risk of poor mental health, and that language-related stigma and profiling may contribute to stress and a sense of social exclusion. 1,2
ICE is a federal agency responsible for enforcing immigration laws, including identification and removal of individuals in violation of those laws. The agency routinely conducts operations intended to locate undocumented migrants. In recent months, ICE activity has drawn attention for other incidents of enforcement actions.
The conversation around immigration enforcement and civil rights has intensified amid broader debates over U.S. immigration policy and law enforcement practices.
ICE did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the incident involving Patel’s mother. The agency often states that its officers must verify identity and legal status in situations where immigration violations are suspected.
Patel’s post has drawn public attention, including responses from community members and civil rights commentators.
As of the publication of this article, there has been no official statement from ICE regarding this specific allegation.
Rodriguez, V. E., L. E. Enriquez, A. Ro, and C. A. Ayón. “Immigration-Related Discrimination and Mental Health among Latino Undocumented Students and U.S. Citizen Students with Undocumented Parents: A Mixed-Methods Investigation,” Journal of Health and Social Behavior (2023), https://doi.org/10.1177/00221465231168912. Accessed January 26, 2026.
Dimitrina Miteva, Foivos Georgiadis, Lorna McBroom, Vanessa Noboa, Boris B. Quednow, Erich Seifritz, Stefan Vetter, and Stephan T. Egger. “Impact of Language Proficiency on Mental Health Service Use, Treatment and Outcomes: ‘Lost in Translation,’” Comprehensive Psychiatry (2022), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2022.152299. Accessed January 26, 2026.
