Border Patrol detained a man over his accent. For Asian immigrants, it’s an alarm bell
Border Patrol agents detained a U.S. passport holder based solely on his accent in Minneapolis last week, raising concerns about expanded racial profiling that threatens Asian American communities.
The Rebel Yellow - #170
In Minneapolis, Border Patrol agents detained a U.S. passport holder after citing his accent during a street encounter, an incident captured on video and later confirmed by federal officials. In Philadelphia, a Cambodian refugee died after spending three days in ICE custody, as the agency conducts a standard review into a death at its detention facility. Illinois will swear in its first Asian American justice to the state Supreme Court later this month. New research also finds Asian Americans now make up nearly one in 10 residents in the Houston metropolitan area, reflecting decades of population growth across several counties. Other stories include renewed U.S. efforts to extradite a Filipino televangelist charged with sex trafficking, a South Korea–Japan summit that concluded with a joint cultural performance and the release of a new Marvel X-Men one-shot led by Asian American creators.
Border Patrol detained a man over his accent. For Asian immigrants, it’s an alarm bell
Border Patrol agents detained a U.S. passport holder based solely on his accent in Minneapolis last week, raising concerns about expanded racial profiling that threatens Asian American communities.
What happened: The arrest, which was caught in a now-viral video, occurred just outside Ramon Menera’s home in Minneapolis last Wednesday. When he questioned why the agents wanted his identification, one bluntly responded, “because of your accent.” Menera then pointed out the agent’s own accent, resulting in an escalation that ended with him being restrained and taken into custody. However, agents freed him once their database confirmed that he holds a U.S. passport card issued in 2021, though he was born in Mexico. The incident unfolded before his 5-year-old daughter, who watched through a window and now fears leaving the home, CNN reported.
What this means: Though enforcement actions have primarily targeted Latino communities, the implications reach far beyond. Last September, the Supreme Court authorized immigration enforcement to weigh ethnicity alongside other considerations during stops, establishing a legal framework that puts Asian immigrants at risk.
The geographic scope is also expanding. Operations “Midway Blitz” in Chicago and “Patriot 2.0” in Boston are underway in metropolitan areas with substantial Asian American populations. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) reported that agents are conducting stops at commercial areas and residential neighborhoods, often without clear legal basis. Justice Sonia Sotomayor warned in her Supreme Court dissent that the ruling renders certain groups vulnerable to being “seized at any time” based on ethnicity and employment, a reality now playing out in communities nationwide.
Legal concerns: The constitutional issues are clear. Demanding papers based on accent alone breaches Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches, legal analysts say. CNN analyst Elie Honig explained that Justice Brett Kavanaugh reaffirmed in September 2025 that agents need reasonable suspicion, a threshold requiring articulable justification beyond arbitrary characteristics like appearance or speech. This means officers must explain specific reasons for a stop, not simply point to how someone looks or sounds.
However, Secretary Kristi Noem said last week that enforcement complies with law and recommended citizens carry citizenship proof. The evidence tells a different story. In Minneapolis alone, ICE agents fatally shot Renee Good, a white woman and a U.S. citizen, as she attempted to drive away. The ACLU responded by filing a class-action suit Jan. 15, alleging systematic Fourth Amendment violations through racial profiling and warrantless arrests.
What to do: Understanding your constitutional rights is essential. Agents cannot legally stop you without reasonable suspicion that goes beyond appearance or how you speak. Street encounters and doorstep visits don’t obligate you to answer immigration questions or present documentation. You can simply ask whether you’re free to leave. Agents cannot enter your home without a warrant signed by a judge. If confronted, record interactions safely when possible, note badge numbers and specific statements, and report incidents to civil rights organizations like the ACLU.
Cambodian refugee dies in ICE custody in Philadelphia
A Cambodian refugee who came to the U.S. as a child died in a Philadelphia hospital after spending three days in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to federal officials. Parady La, 46, was detained outside his home in Upper Darby on Jan. 6 and hospitalized the following day after being found unresponsive in his cell. His death occurred as ICE faces heightened scrutiny over medical emergencies inside immigration detention facilities.
What ICE says happened
According to ICE, after La was transferred to the Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia, he was experiencing severe drug withdrawal and was placed under medical observation. Detention medical staff were reportedly aware of his condition while he remained housed at the facility. “ICE is committed to ensuring that all those in custody reside in safe, secure and humane environments,” the agency said. “Comprehensive medical care is provided from the moment individuals arrive.”
ICE officials said officers later found La unresponsive inside his cell and initiated emergency measures, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the administration of naloxone, before he was transported to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Medical findings later cited by the agency included anoxic brain injury, shock and multi-organ failure. ICE has said it is conducting a review of the incident, which is standard procedure following a death in custody.
Family challenges detention narrative
La’s family has disputed key elements of ICE’s account, saying his medical distress was visible and escalated well before he lost consciousness. Relatives have said La repeatedly sought help while experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms and questioned whether detention staff responded appropriately as his condition worsened.
“From what we’re hearing, that the inmates are saying, is that he said that he was withdrawing, told them that he was withdrawing, was asking for help for 24 hours, vomiting, and didn’t get any water,” his nephew Michael La told KYW Newsradio. Family members have said they are seeking medical records, surveillance footage and internal reports as they consider legal action related to his death.
Michael also started a GoFundMe to help cover funeral expenses and support the deceased’s 23-year-old daughter, Jazmine La. Donations are also intended to assist the family as they pursue legal action related to his death at the Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia.
Death intensifies detention scrutiny
Multiple detainee deaths have already been reported nationwide this year, following a record 32 deaths in immigration detention in 2025 (at least five were Asian nationals), the highest number in two decades. Legal experts and oversight groups have pointed to persistent concerns involving medical staffing, monitoring protocols and the handling of acute health crises, including withdrawal and mental health emergencies.
Shut Down Detention Campaign, which advocates for the closure of immigration detention facilities in Pennsylvania, said La’s death reflects deeper problems within the state’s detention system. “This is the fourth death in a little over two years in Pennsylvania detention centers,” the group said in a statement, citing what it described as a broader pattern of medical failures inside detention facilities across the state.
Illinois Supreme Court to have its 1st Asian American justice
Veteran judge Sanjay T. Tailor will be sworn in on Jan. 30 as the first Asian American justice in the history of the Illinois Supreme Court. He was appointed to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Mary Jane Theis and will serve through Dec. 4, 2028. Tailor joins the seven-member court after 23 years as a judge in Cook County and the Illinois Appellate Court.
