Some Nicki Minaj fans are now urging U.S. officials to deport the rapper to Trinidad and Tobago, arguing they feel let down by what they describe as a shift in her public politics.
A Change.org petition calling for the U.S. government to review Minaj’s immigration status had more than 12,800 signatures as of Monday evening. The petition claims Minaj has moved from a more liberal image to a more conservative one, and says supporters feel “betrayed” by the change.
“This is personal for those of us who watched Nicki rise as a beacon of hope, only to feel abandoned by her shift in values,” the petition—started by Tristan Hamilton—reads. “Her public platform carries weight and responsibility, and her recent statements are a stark contrast to the solidarity she once showed, leaving many feeling deflated and disillusioned.
“Furthermore, Nicki’s status in the United States is not based on citizenship, which raises questions about her continued presence here despite her divisive actions and statements.”
Why It Matters
The year has included multiple cases of immigrants being detained and deported over their views—largely related to the Israel-Hamas war—as the Trump administration has taken a harder line on positions it argues conflict with American values or U.S. foreign policy.
What To Know
Hamilton wrote that Minaj’s recent actions and comments have “taken a turn,” leaving some longtime supporters disillusioned. He pointed to what he described as past liberal stances on LGBTQ+ issues, contrasting them with remarks such as “boys should just be boys,” a view he said she shared with Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, a few days before Christmas.
Minaj, who criticized President Donald Trump during his first term, has appeared more closely aligned with the MAGA movement in recent years. In November, she said she was working with the White House on Christian persecution in Nigeria—an issue the president has highlighted, including ordering strikes on alleged perpetrators on Christmas Day.
Hamilton said the petition is not only about one celebrity’s perceived “fall from grace,” but about holding influential public figures to standards of compassion and consistency, arguing their words can have an outsized impact across communities.
Some backers say they want Minaj deported to Trinidad, where she was born.
Minaj’s current immigration status was not immediately clear, but she said during a TikTok livestream in September 2024 that she is not a U.S. citizen, despite living and working in the country for many years. She also suggested she believed she might have received honorary citizenship by now.
In 2018, while criticizing the first Trump administration’s immigration policies—particularly family separations at the U.S.-Mexico border—Minaj said she entered the United States illegally when she was 5 years old.
A separate Change.org petition launched over the summer also called for Minaj’s deportation. That petition, which had more than 56,000 signatures, referenced her husband, Kenneth Petty, a registered sex offender. Its organizers argued that deporting Minaj would send a broader message about “legal and moral boundaries” for public figures.
What People Are Saying
Tristan Hamilton, petition organizer, on Change.org: “Sign this petition to urge immigration authorities to review Nicki Minaj’s residency status in the United States and consider deporting her back to Trinidad as a response to her harmful rhetoric. Let’s stand together to advocate for a community that is inclusive and respectful, leaving no room for abandonment based on outdated ideologies. Every signature counts in making our voices heard and fostering a sphere where public figures can be evaluated on the principles they claim to uphold.”
Nicki Minaj, speaking on TikTok in September 2024: “I was born on a beautiful island called Trinidad and Tobago. But I’ve been in the States for many years. You would think that with the millions of dollars that I’ve paid in taxes to this country that I would have been given an honorary citizenship many, many, many thousands of years ago.”
What’s Next
Hamilton is calling on DHS to review Minaj’s case, arguing that because she is not a U.S. citizen, her immigration status could be subject to investigation.
