Nicki Minaj deportation petitions explained as over 120,000 people sign amid backlash

Multiple petitions have arisen calling for Nicki Minaj to be deported from the US following a furious backlash from her fans.

Nicki Minaj has been one of the most popular music artists over the last decade; however, many of her former fans have taken to social media to dismiss the star.

The 43-year-old rapper has recently shown public support for conservative figures, including Donald Trump, much to the ire of her fanbase.

But anger seemed to boil over when the rapper attended a Turning Point USA event as a surprise guest back in December, sharing the stage with conservative activist Charlie Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk.

The frustrations with the artist may have reached a new level as Minaj now has to contend with two petitions calling for her deportation.

One Change.org petition has so far been signed by more than 46,000 people, while another has more than 87,000 signatures, both calling for her deportation to Trinidad and Tobago, where she was born.

This comes after Minaj had previously admitted that she came into the country illegally at the age of five.

Minaj spoke at a Turning Point event alongside Erika Kirk (Olivier Touron / AFP via Getty Images)

In a 2018 post criticizing Trump over his immigration stance, she wrote on Instagram: “I came to this country as an illegal immigrant.

“I can’t imagine the horror of being in a strange place & having my parents stripped away from me at the age of five.”

In 2024 during a TikTok live, she said she never officially became a US citizen.

Minaj explained: "You would think that with the millions of dollars that I've paid in taxes to this country that I would have been given an honorary citizenship many, many, many thousands of years ago."

So, the big question is, do any of these petitions have any weight behind them?

Minaj has previously claimed she came into the US illegally (Prince Williams/FilmMagic)

Well, no, not really.

Despite Minaj’s comments that she came into the country illegally as a child and is not a US citizen, she does hold a green card.

These are issued to non-US citizens and allow them to live and work in the country, giving them permanent residency in the US.

Therefore, despite people’s frustrations with her recent support of conservative figures, she cannot be deported.

The ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) charity has previously commented on the legality of deporting an individual for voicing an opinion.

The charity has said: “Criticizing U.S. foreign policy, or voicing any other opinion, is protected by the First Amendment – no matter your immigration status."

So it is unlikely that the petitions will lead to any actual action.