Nicki Minaj's Hypocrisy Exposed: Defends ICE After Admitting She Was an Illegal Immigrant

Nicki Minaj is under fire again after fans dug up an old social media post where she admitted she came to the U.S. as an undocumented child. Netizens are calling her out, pointing to the gap between her past comments and her recent support for policies linked to Donald Trump, especially those pushing for tougher immigration rules.

According to a report by the Latin Times, the whole thing blew up after Minaj showed up last month at a Turning Point USA event with conservative commentator Erika Kirk. Not long after, folks on social media started sharing a 2018 Instagram post where Minaj opened up about her own immigration story and slammed the family separation happening at the U.S.–Mexico border.

In that earlier post, Minaj addressed immigration enforcement policies directly. Introducing her remarks at the time, she described her own experience as a child immigrant.

She wrote, "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 at the age of 5. This is so scary to me. Please stop this. Can you try to imagine the terror & panic these kids feel right now?"per Daily Mail. The post was shared amid widespread outrage over images of migrant children held in detention facilities.

Critics now argue that her stance has shifted dramatically. Some reactions cited by the Daily Mail included comments such as "she's out of touch with a past she survived lol" and "a far cry from who she is now." Others accused Minaj, who was born in Trinidad and Tobago and raised in Queens, New York, of being a "complete sellout."

The criticism grew after Minaj responded positively to online content promoting the SAVE Act, legislation aimed at preventing "illegal aliens" from voting. Introducing one user's reaction to this shift, the report quoted a blunt response: "And now she's defending ICE and kids having their parents ripped away from them."

Minaj's immigration status has also been a topic of discussion. During a TikTok Live in 2024, she addressed the subject directly. Introducing her comments, she spoke about her background and legal standing.

She said, "I was born on a beautiful island called Trinidad and Tobago. But I've been in the States for many years," adding that despite paying "millions of dollars" in taxes, she joked she had not been granted "honorary citizenship many, many, many thousands of years ago."

Beyond immigration issues, Minaj has recently drawn attention for an escalating feud with journalist Don Lemon. Earlier this week, she reacted on X to Lemon's livestream covering a protest at a Minnesota church linked to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Introducing her response, Minaj wrote in all caps: "DON 'C**K SUCKIN' LEMON IS DISGUSTING."

Lemon later responded to the criticism, stating he was "not surprised Nicki Minaj does not understand journalism," and subsequently called her "ignorant" during a podcast appearance, according to the Daily Mail.

At this point, Minaj is leaning hard into MAGA politics. She even thanked Trump for his "leadership" during a United Nations appearance in November, which only added more fuel to the fire over her changing political views.