Cardi B's Anti‑ICE Concert Rant Sparks Backlash and Homeland Security Response

Cardi B faced nationwide backlash following her bold political statement during her sold-out show Little Miss Drama Tour's opening on 11 February 2026 in Palm Desert, California. Cardi B's quip came during Act III of her concert set, explicitly addressing the crowd at Acrisure Arena.

In a video shared by TMZ, the Grammy Award-winning rapper asked her audience mid-concert if there were any Guatemalans or Mexicans in attendance. She then gave her best impression of Selena, a popular Latina pop icon who died in 1995.

She then said, 'B****, If ICE comes in here, we gon' jump they a****,' which swiftly prompted an applause from the audience. She jokingly followed up with the statement, 'I've got some bear mace in the back! They ain't taking my fans, b****,' before moving on to sing her famous hit, 'I Like It.'

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is a federal agency under the Department of Homeland Security. ICE has become a flash point in national debates over Trump's immigration policy, also known as immigration crackdown. The agency has been part of several controversies involving violence and deaths.

Department of Homeland Security Responds

Cardi B's anti-ICE remarks unsurprisingly turned heads in Washington, prompting the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to issue a statement via X (formerly Twitter), saying, 'As long as she doesn't drug and rob our agents, we'll consider that an improvement over her past behavior.'

This sneaky response was a reference to Cardi B's past where she confessed to drugging and robbing men at a time when she had 'limited options' for survival, as shared by The Statesman. According to reports, the rapper later revealed she reflected on this and expressed regret.

The rapper later clapped back, posting on X in response to the White House's statement, 'If we talking about drugs, let's talk about Epstein and friends drugging underage girls to rape them. Why y'all don't wanna talk about the Epstein files?'

Cardi B's Stance Against ICE

Cardi B performed along Bad Bunny in the latter's Super Bowl Halftime Show earlier this week. Ahead of her performance at Michael Rubin's Fanatics Super Bowl Party, Cardi B praised Bad Bunny for 'standing up' against ICE. She said in a report shared by ABC News, 'I'm proud of everything that he's been standing up for against ICE and everything.'

As he accepted his Grammy, Bad Bunny, who is of Puerto Rican descent, said 'ICE out,' a statement Cardi B approved of when she said, 'It just feels like everything is aligned right now. It just shows how Hispanics, Latinos. ... We standing. They standing. We all standing.'

Cardi B is Afro-Caribbean, with roots in Trinidad and the Dominican Republic. The rapper has been vocal about her views on Trump's immigration crackdown.

Nationwide Debate

It didn't take long for fans and critics alike to weigh in on Cardi B's bold move. The X post quickly gained traction, showing polarised opinions from citizens. The hashtag, #ProtectCardi, which first emerged in 2019 following Cardi B's confession of her past. Some users reacted to DHS's post, questioning its refusal to address why ICE is 'terrorising' communities and instead reacting to Cardi B's statement.

Other users criticised Cardi B saying she is no 'role model,' while mostly bringing up her past, including the said confession. Many, however, highlighted how an official government agency shouldn't be involved in celebrity issues.

Cardi B's Little Miss Drama tour, which is in support of her studio album, 'Am I the Drama?', started on 11 February and is set to consist of 35 shows.