“If ICE Comes, I’ll Smash Them”: U.S. Homeland Security Cites Cardi B’s Past Crimes

Cardi B Criticizes Immigration and Customs Enforcement During Concert
Department of Homeland Security Publicly Hits Back by Citing Her Criminal Past

American rapper Cardi B is at the center of growing controversy after she made remarks targeting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during a performance, prompting the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to hit back by bringing up her past criminal record.

American rapper Cardi B. Cardi B's Instagram

According to USA Today and other local outlets on the 12th (local time), Cardi B told the crowd during her “Little Miss Drama” tour performance in Palm Desert, California, the previous night, “If ICE comes into this venue, I will smash them,” drawing cheers from the audience.

Cardi B is a world-famous rapper who, in 2018, became the first solo female artist to win the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. She has 160 million followers on Instagram and has publicly supported the Democratic Party.

A social media post by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security targeting Cardi B. U.S. Department of Homeland Security X

Once her remarks became known, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security responded immediately through its official social media account. The department posted, “As long as Cardi B doesn’t drug and rob our agents, we’ll agree that her behavior has improved compared to the past.”

This directly referenced crimes she committed in the past while working at a strip club.

In response, Cardi B said, “If you want to talk about drugs, then let’s talk about Epstein and the people around him who drugged underage girls and raped them,” adding, “Why don’t you want to talk about the so-called ‘Epstein files’?”

Meanwhile, in connection with the current controversy, renewed attention is being paid to the fact that Cardi B recently and publicly backed comments made by singer Bad Bunny, who has criticized immigration enforcement policies in interviews. This has become a catalyst for reigniting debate over immigration enforcement policy across the U.S. entertainment industry.