Growing Petition Demands Nicki Minaj’s Deportation Following AmericaFest Appearance
A groundswell of public pushback has manifested in a viral petition calling for the deportation of Nicki Minaj. The movement, hosted on Change.org, has rapidly gained momentum following the rapper’s recent foray into the political spotlight.
The controversy ignited after Minaj took the stage at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest on December 21 in Phoenix. Appearing alongside Erika Kirk—widow of the late conservative figurehead Charlie Kirk—the hip-hop icon’s presence at the event served as a catalyst for a digital protest that has now amassed nearly 50,000 signatures. The petition explicitly calls for the artist to be returned to her birth country of Trinidad. Although Minaj immigrated to the United States at the age of five, she confirmed during a 2024 livestream that she has yet to obtain U.S. citizenship.
Launched shortly after Christmas, the petition features an image of Minaj and Kirk, accompanied by a description that highlights a sense of deep-seated betrayal among her audience. “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 organizers stated.
“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. Deporting Nicki Minaj back to Trinidad would serve as a reminder that public figures need to be accountable for their words and the broader impact they have on diverse communities.”
The backlash highlights a significant ideological pivot for the musician. In years past, Minaj was a vocal opponent of the Trump administration’s stringent immigration enforcement. During the height of the border crisis in 2018, she drew upon her own upbringing to criticize policies that separated families.
“I came to this country as an illegal immigrant @ 5 years old. I can’t imagine the horror of being in a strange place & having my parents stripped away from me,” she shared on social media at the time, pleading for compassion for children caught in the system.
However, her recent rhetoric suggests a fundamental change in perspective. During her AmericaFest appearance, she went as far as to label Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance as “role models.” This endorsement follows her earlier praise for the administration’s intervention regarding the persecution of Christians in Nigeria—a cause she championed at a United Nations event in New York last November.
“I would like to thank President Trump for prioritizing this issue,” Minaj remarked during the UN event, praising his “leadership on the global stage” in defending religious freedoms and combating extremism.
As the petition continues to circulate, representatives for Minaj have not yet issued an official response to the deportation demands or the criticism regarding her recent political alignments.
