Recommendations of the Editorial team
Several petitions Change.org, which is calling for the deportation of Nicki Minaj to her native Trinidad and Tobagohave now reached a total of more than 120,000 signatures. The most successful petition – with over 83,000 signatures – was launched on July 9, 2025. And cites, among other things, Minaj’s “harassment” of the “Carters” as a trigger. At this point, Minaj had repeatedly attacked Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter on X.
Reactions to AmericaFest appearance
There are also at least three other petitions that were created between December 21st and 28th, 2025. They come in connection with Minaj’s controversial Dec. 21 appearance alongside conservative activist Erika Kirk at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest, where the rapper praised President Donald Trump’s administration.
One of the more recent petitions was started on December 27 by a 16-year-old from Chicago named Tristan Hamilton, according to the website. At the time of reporting, it already had over 41,000 signatures. The cover image is a photo of Minaj high-fiving Kirk. Hamilton wrote that Minaj had “deeply disappointed” her LGBTQ fans. He referred to the rapper’s statements at AmericaFest. “Boys should be boys. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
Allegations from the LGBTQ community
Some observers see Minaj’s performance as a dig at Turning Point USA’s historically transphobic and anti-queer leadership. “Deporting Nicki Minaj to Trinidad would be a reminder that public figures are responsible for their words and their impact on diverse communities,” Hamilton wrote. “It’s not just about the case of one person. It’s about measuring everyone against a standard of compassion and consistency. Especially those with great influence.” Representatives for Hamilton and Nicki Minaj did not immediately respond to requests for comment from ROLLING STONE.
Minaj’s AmericaFest appearance also came during a phase of an aggressive anti-migration campaign by the Trump administration. As well as against several black, Asian, Arab and Latin American regions worldwide. Including the Caribbean. ProPublica reports that more than 170 U.S. citizens have also been detained by immigration authorities as part of the recent mass deportations in the United States.
Unclear legal basis
It is unclear whether there would even be a legal basis for Minaj’s deportation. She reportedly wrote in 2018 that she came to the United States “as an illegal immigrant” at the age of five. At the time, she shared an Instagram post against the separation of migrant children from their parents during Trump’s first term. “I can’t imagine the horror of being five years old in a strange place and being separated from your parents,” she wrote. “This is so scary to me. Please stop it.”
Minaj’s current citizenship status is also unclear. In 2024, she said in a TikTok livestream: “I’m not an American citizen. Isn’t that crazy?” And further: “You would think that after the millions of dollars in taxes I have paid to this country, I would have received honorary citizenship thousands of years ago.”
Voices of former fans
While the comment function on the largest petition is apparently deactivated, numerous self-proclaimed ex-fans commented on Hamilton’s petition. One person wrote, “It’s hard to reconcile the ‘Black Barbies’ rapper who once spoke about the horrors of immigration policy with this version of Nicki cozying up to Erika Kirk – a woman whose platform is based on ideologies that have historically marginalized black and trans voices.” The commentary concluded by stating that this is not about mere differences of opinion, but about using cultural capital to support people who do not show equal support for their own community.
Some TikTok users attribute the petition to the fact that Minaj’s supposed support of anti-immigrant positions is now reflecting on her. Without explicitly endorsing the petition, @nsddahmmy said: It’s particularly ironic that Minaj could be deported by ICE both for political appearances and, in theory, just as quickly.
Other users, however, defended Minaj or made fun of the petition. In short videos they looked into the camera and commented: “Wait a minute, I thought liberals were against deportations and ICE.” The political background of the signatories is overall unclear.