Cardi B takes aim at ICE during tour kickoff: 'They ain’t taking my fans'

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Cardi B is pushing back after the Department of Homeland Security responded to remarks she made about US Immigration and Customs Enforcement during the opening night of her Little Miss Drama Tour.

The Grammy winner, 33, addressed fans on Wednesday, February 11, while performing at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert. A video of her comments quickly circulated on X, drawing national attention and prompting a pointed reply from DHS.

Cardi B's onstage warning for ICE 

Cardi B made the remarks while elevated above the crowd in a sequined orange dress. As she prepared to perform her hit song ‘I Like It,’ she told the audience: “If ICE come in here, we’re gonna jump they a***s… I got some bear mace in the back. They ain’t taking my fans, b***h. Let’s go!”

The crowd cheered as she launched into the track. The moment was later amplified online after social media accounts shared clips of the exchange.

Her comments come amid heightened debate over immigration enforcement policies and public demonstrations involving ICE across the country.

DHS response and clapback

The Department of Homeland Security reposted a TMZ report about the concert moment and issued a sharp response on X.

“As long as she doesn’t ....and rob our agents, we’ll consider that an improvement over her past behavior,” DHS wrote.

The rapper fired back on X, writing: “Why yall don’t wanna talk about the Epstein files?”

Her post referenced renewed scrutiny surrounding Epstein and documents tied to his case. Neither DHS nor Cardi B appeared to escalate the exchange further as of February 13.

Immigration data and broader reaction

The controversy unfolds as new data adds context to the national immigration debate.

The University of California, Berkeley’s Deportation Data Project recently obtained records on nearly 220,000 people arrested by ICE between January 20 and October 15, 2025. The data was compiled by an internal ICE office and released publicly through a lawsuit against the agency.

According to the findings, almost one-third of those arrested during that period had no criminal record. The dataset does not distinguish between minor offenses and violent crimes for those with prior convictions.

Cardi B’s Little Miss Drama Tour supports her latest studio album, ‘Am I the Drama?’ The tour will continue through multiple US cities before concluding in Atlanta in April.

The exchange with DHS marks the latest instance of high-profile entertainers weighing in on immigration enforcement, a topic that has increasingly intersected with pop culture and politics.