Shalini Thakur, a 38-year-old IHOP manager in Sacramento, California, was shot dead on 8 September by Rohit Rohit, a 22-year-old Indian national who had stalked and harassed her for nearly a year. Rohit, who worked as a DoorDash driver and frequently collected orders from her restaurant, had entered the United States illegally via Arizona in August 2023, was detained by Border Patrol agents, and was then released by the Biden administration, with no reason given for his release. Her death has drawn fresh attention to a series of killings of American women by people in the country illegally, with friends and campaigners saying lawmakers bear responsibility for failing to prevent such attacks.

Thakur, described by her former employer Daljit Khangura as a hard-working and dedicated colleague turned close friend, endured months of escalating harassment before her murder, including having an Apple AirTag hidden on her car, her tyres slashed, threats on her life, and Rohit letting himself into her flat with a copied key while she slept. Police had urged her to seek a restraining order. Her case is being compared to other high-profile killings of women and girls by illegal immigrants, including Laken Riley in Georgia, Jocelyn Nungaray in Texas, and Rachel Morin in Maryland, whose brother Michael said he has long feared "the next woman" and wants such cases to prompt policy change rather than political point-scoring.