Nicki Minaj’s recent embrace of the Trump administration has not been without backlash. In a recent feud with Don Lemon over ICE protests in Minnesota, Nicki subjected the journalist to a homophobic slur on her X account. In response, Don highlighted her immigration status in a recent interview with TMZ.
Don recalled that Nicki, before her MAGA turn, had said she was undocumented. The journalist then alleged that the rapper embraced the Trump administration in an attempt to secure U.S. citizenship.
A petition was launched for Nicki Minaj to be deported
Don’s assertions about Nicki’s immigration status come from words spoken by the rapper herself. Back in 2018, Nicki called out the Trump administration for their policy of separating children from their families at the U.S.-Mexico border. In a now-deleted Instagram post (documented by ABC News), the musician shared an insight into her childhood emigrating from Trinidad and Tobago to the United States.
“I came to this country as an illegal immigrant,” she wrote on the app accompanied by a photo of what appeared to be an ICE detention center.
“I can’t imagine the horror of being in a strange place & having my parents stripped away from me at the age of 5,” she continued. “This is so scary to me. Please stop this. Can you try to imagine the terror & panic these kids feel right now? Not knowing if their parents are dead or alive, if they’ll ever see them again.”
Recently, a petition has been circulating online to deport Nicki back to her country of birth. As of January 21st, it has 62,000 signatures. The petition became popular after the star’s appearance at Turning Point’s AmericaFest in December 2025. The Change.org petition also referred to her undocumented status. The description went on to criticize her “outdated and harmful notions” toward the LGBTQ community.
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