Nicki Minaj
Turning Point USA/YouTube Screenshot

Nicki Minaj's old mugshot has going around the internet with ICE tagged on the post after her Turning Point USA's AmericaFest surprise appearance and her pivot revelation—flaunting her support for the Trump administration and a MAGA supporter.

Now questions about her citizenship are breaking the internet.

Is Nicki Minaj A US Citizen? Old Mugshot With ICE Tagged On It Circulates On The Internet

After her appearance in TPUSA AMfest and MAGA supporter pivot, Minaj's old mugshot has gone viral, along with United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) tagged on the post, so here's why.

Onika Tanya Maraj whose popularly known by her stage name Nicki Minaj, immigrated to the US from Trinidad and Tobago, but she has lived in Queens for most of her life.

In 2018, she revealed in an Instagram post that she came to the country as an illegal immigrant, as she called out Trump to handle the border crisis in 2018 when children of immigrants were being separated from their families.

She wrote, 'I came to this country as an illegal immigrant @ 5 years old.' The Starships rapper added in the since-deleted post, '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? Not knowing if their parents are dead or alive, if they'll ever see them again,' she added.

Furthermore, in just last year, 2024, Minaj said that she was undocumented during a TikTok Livestream.

'I'm not a citizen of America. Isn't that crazy?' she revealed, 'I was born on a beautiful island called Trinidad and Tobago. But I've been in the States for many years,' Minaj said during the stream.

READ MORE: 'Nicki Minaj Is Not a Good Role Model for Black Girls': Charlie Kirk's Past Comments Resurface After Rapper Appears at TPUSA's AMFest

Minaj said that she's been in the US for so many years and has been paying millions of dollars in taxes.

Many were surprised by the revelation, as despite having lived in the country for decades and enjoying a hugely successful career, Minaj remains a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago.

The disclosure caught fans off guard, with many having assumed she was American due to her long-standing presence in US culture.

Meanwhile, Minaj's old mugshot has been going around. She was apprehended for Criminal possession of a weapon with intent to use.

In an old post that has resurfaced, the rapper shared the context of the mugshot, she wrote: 'It took me years to be able to look at things like this..... Criminal possession of a weapon with intent to use. I did use it tho. This is so inspiring now, looking back. The girl was leaking blood & spent days in the hospital. The word on the street was that I was gonna be deported. I was so scared. Lol. I was "on the run". 1 rlly thougnt r was in a ghetto movie. 1 hid my car and went to stay with my Aunt in Rrooklyn chile. Bwahahaaaaa.'

Alongside the resurfaced mugshot, the ICE X account was tagged, drawing significant attention online. This has left many wondering why people are doing this.

The simplest explanation is that these users are targeting the rapper because she is both an immigrant and has a criminal record, seemingly hoping to push for her deportation.

By tagging ICE, they appear to be trying to involve the agency directly, or at least symbolically, in enforcing immigration laws against her. The situation highlights how social media can amplify public scrutiny and even mobilise calls for legal action, especially against high-profile figures.

US President Donald Trump has consistently called for stricter immigration enforcement, saying, 'We have people coming into the country, or trying to come in, who are criminals and have lots of problems.' He emphasised removing undocumented immigrants, especially those who commit crimes.

Under his administration, ICE played a key role in carrying out these policies, conducting raids and deportations to keep the country safe: 'We have to build a wall... to keep our country safe from criminals and bad actors.'

READ MORE: Nicki Minaj Deletes Her Instagram Days After TPUSA's AMFest — Is This Her Response to Backlash Despite Saying She 'Didn't Notice' the Hate?

Minaj Calls for Honorary US Citizenship

In the same 2024 TikTok livestream, Minaj expressed frustration over her lack of formal recognition from the country she's called home since childhood.

The Super Bass artist said that she felt she deserved 'honorary citizenship' as she had paid 'millions of dollars' in taxes.

'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.'

Minaj's appearance at TPUSA AMfest has sparked intense scrutiny, with people digging into her past. This situation highlights how social media can bring personal histories, immigration status, and legal controversies into the spotlight—especially for high-profile figures like Minaj, whose life and career continue to captivate the public.

With this revelation, another question emerges: was Minaj's political pivot an attempt to secure 'honorary citizenship'? While we can't say for certain, we'll have to wait and see what unfolds next.

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