In 2018, Nicki Minaj posted an emotional message about the Trump administration’s family separation policy at the border.
“I came to this country as an illegal immigrant,” she wrote. “I can’t imagine the horror of being in a strange place & having my parents stripped away from me at the age of 5. This is so scary to me. Please stop this.”
Seven years later, she appeared on stage at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest in Phoenix, calling President Donald Trump “handsome” and “dashing,” praising Vice President JD Vance, and mocking California Governor Gavin Newsom as “Newscum.”
The backlash was immediate. A Change.org petition titled “Deport Nicki Minaj to Trinidad” has now surpassed 55,000 signatures.
What happened at AmericaFest
Minaj’s December 21 appearance marked her most public embrace of MAGA politics yet. Interviewed by Erika Kirk, widow of slain Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, Minaj offered effusive praise for the administration.
“I have the utmost respect and admiration for our president,” she said. “He’s given so many people hope that there’s a chance to beat the bad guys and to win.”
She also made comments about gender that drew criticism. “If you are born a boy, be a boy,” she told the crowd. “There’s nothing wrong with being a boy.”
The White House amplified her remarks. Vance praised them on X, calling them “really profound.”
Nicki Minaj said something at Amfest that was really profound. I’m paraphrasing, but she said, “just because I want little black girls to think they’re beautiful doesn’t mean I need to put down little girls with blonde hair and blue eyes.”
— JD Vance (@JDVance) December 22, 2025
We all got wrapped up over the last…
The petition
Image Credit: Change.org
The deportation petition was created in July 2025, originally focused on Minaj’s attacks on Beyoncé and Jay-Z and her marriage to Kenneth Petty, a registered sex offender. But it surged after AmericaFest, climbing from a few thousand signatures to over 55,000 in days.
“I’m from Trinidad, and I’m tired of Nicki Minaj using Trinidadian identity when it suits her while embarrassing the culture on a global stage,” one commenter wrote.
The legal reality
The petition carries no legal weight. Change.org campaigns are symbolic and cannot compel federal authorities to act.
Minaj, born in Trinidad and Tobago, moved to the U.S. at age five. She has publicly stated she is not a citizen despite decades of residency and paying millions in taxes. Deportation requires specific legal grounds — and given her support for Trump, it’s highly unlikely his administration would pursue any action against her.
The petition won’t lead to anything. But the symbolism of a rapper who once wrote “please stop this” about immigration enforcement now being celebrated by the administration that carried it out — while facing deportation calls from former fans — isn’t lost on anyone paying attention.