ICE hits back at Indian-origin lawyer for ‘Taco Bell number' claim: ‘Lying for likes'
The Department of Homeland Security addressed the controversy in a post on its X account, calling Chatterjee's TikTok video an example of 'lying for likes.'
'ICE did not give immigration attorney Trisha Chatterjee—the woman in the TikTok video—a phone number to a Taco Bell. After she posted the video, ICE attempted to reach out to her to obtain information about her clients. She was provided with several avenues to contact ICE directly and help resolve any issues, but she has made no attempt to contact the agency,' the post stated.
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The controversy began after Chatterjee uploaded a TikTok video claiming that ICE had given her the phone number of a Taco Bell restaurant when she attempted to contact the agency on behalf of her clients.
Trisha Chatterjee's allegations against ICE
Trisha Chatterjee, a Cincinnati-based immigration lawyer, posted a TikTok video claiming she was redirected to a Taco Bell when she contacted ICE for assistance.
In her video, she alleged that she had difficulty reaching ICE officials for several days. When she finally got through, she claimed the call was answered by someone saying, 'Hello, Taco Bell?'
'I called, and they answered and said, 'Hello, Taco Bell?' And I said, 'Taco Bell?' And the guy said, 'Yeah, Taco Bell. Ma'am, you called me,'' Chatterjee recalled.
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The video quickly went viral.
Earlier, Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, denied the claim on X, stating that Chatterjee's story was a lie and a smear campaign.
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