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Thousands of people have signed a petition urging the U.S. government to review Nicki Minaj’s immigration status and possibly face deportation over her recent public statements.
As of Monday (December 29), over 9,800 people had signed a Change.org petition, started by Tristan Hamilton, accusing the rapper of abandoning values she once appeared to support and fostering division with her platform.
“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 states. “Her public platform carries weight and responsibility, and her recent statements are a stark contrast to the solidarity she once showed.”
In the petition, Hamilton cited Minaj's recent comments in which the rapper suggested “boys should just be boys" and her growing alignment with the MAGA movement. The petition argues that Minaj’s immigration status should be reviewed because she is not a U.S. citizen, and she should be deported to Trinidad and Tobago, her home country.
Minaj, who was outspokenly critical of Donald Trump during his first presidency, has been working with the administration as the president pushes unfounded claims of targeted Christian persecution in Nigeria. The rapper also recently appeared alongside Erika Kirk, the widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, at the Turning Point USA AmericaFest event.
It remains unclear whether the petition will prompt any official action. In a TikTok livestream in September 2024, Minaj said she wasn't a U.S. citizen, but believed she might have been granted “honorary citizenship” after years of living and paying taxes in the country.
In 2018, while criticizing Trump-era immigration policies, Minaj said she entered the U.S. illegally when she was five.
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