Having a non-American accent could make you appear undocumented in the eyes of ICE. That is the impression many viewers have drawn from a new video circulating on social media.
The clip shows an encounter between enforcement agents and a man they suspect is undocumented because of his accent. In the footage, at least three ICE officers approach a man and ask for his identification papers.
One agent, who interestingly also speaks with an accent, asks the man, “Look, sir, you are gonna do this the easy way, or we are gonna take you in.” The man then says the officers can’t take him in, and the agent responds, “Yes, I can.”
“Why are you asking me for my papers?”
“Because of your accent.”🤔🤔🤔
“YOU have an accent.”
“Where were you born?”
“Where were YOU born?”
*arrests him for no reason* 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/inrlFgYAix
— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) January 15, 2026
The man, who is shocked, tells the agents that he does have his documentation and asks, “Why are you asking me for my paperwork?” The agent appears to be saying in the footage, “Because of your action.”
The man then points out, “You have an accent too.” At this point, the agent asks him where he was born, and the man simply repeats the question and asks the agent about his native place instead.
This agitates the masked officer. He grabs the man’s arm and forces him against a garage door, eventually handcuffing and arresting him. The incident has sparked concerns, as people worry that speaking with an accent could make them a suspect.
Social media users have accused the Trump administration of racial profiling, as one person wrote. “This is Trump’s America: ICE agents demanding ‘papers’ solely ‘because of your accent.’ State-sponsored ethnic profiling, plain and simple.”
Another person highlighted that even the First Lady has an accent and commented, “Melania has an accent. Elon has an accent. They are racially profiling Latinos which is illegal. They know it, we know it. Why is nobody doing anything about it is the bigger question.”
One social media user addressed the hypocrisy of the ICE agent and remarked, “How is a person with an accent asking another person with an accent for their papers?”
I know a woman in DC with a very heavy accent. might be worth visiting her pic.twitter.com/YQ3aqOM5TO
— Saâd FILALI KHATTABI – FIATELPIS (@FiatElpis) January 15, 2026
While detaining people based on their accents sounds absurd, ICE agents have the backing of the Supreme Court, a ruling that critics say has emboldened enforcement agencies. In September 2025, the court ruled that enforcement officials can consider factors like language, race, accent, and employment location while conducting an immigration crackdown.
Ever since, multiple incidents have come to light where people’s legal status has been questioned because of the way they speak. Just a few days ago, Ahmed Bin Hassan, a Somali-American Uber driver, was stopped at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport by Border Patrol agents.
When investigated, Hassan told the agents, “This is not the border, go to the Canada border or the Mexico border. I’m working, dude.”
One of the agents claimed that he worked in the immigration department and said, “I’m an immigration officer, I can hear you don’t have the same accent as me … I want to know where you’re born.”
Hence, even legal citizens are facing enforcement actions by ICE as the crackdown continues.
