PALM DESERT, Calif. — Rapper Cardi B ignited a firestorm of controversy during the opening night of her Little Miss Drama Tour on Wednesday evening, issuing a bold warning to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents amid a crowd of cheering fans at the Acrisure Arena here.
The 33-year-old artist, born Belcalis Marlenis Almanzar, paused her performance to address immigration concerns, a topic she has touched on in the past through her outspoken social media presence and advocacy for immigrant rights. As she sang a snippet of the traditional Mexican folk song “La Cucaracha,” Cardi B scanned the audience and asked, “How many Mexicans or Guatemalans in attendance?” The question drew enthusiastic responses from the diverse crowd, setting the stage for her provocative statement.
“B—h, if ICE come in here, we gon’ jump they a–es,” she declared, according to witnesses and video footage circulating online. The remark, laced with profanity, elicited roars of approval from the audience. Cardi B, who has Dominican and Trinidadian heritage, continued by saying, “B—h, I got some bear mace in the back,” before adding, “They ain’t taking my fans, b—h.” The crowd's cheers intensified as she transitioned into her hit song “I Like It,” a track that samples Latin rhythms and has been praised for its celebration of multicultural influences.
The concert marked the launch of Cardi B's latest tour, which is expected to span multiple cities across the U.S. and feature high-energy performances of her catalog, including tracks from her 2023 album and earlier hits. Acrisure Arena, a 12,000-seat venue in the Coachella Valley, was packed with fans who had traveled from as far as Los Angeles and beyond, drawn by the rapper's reputation for unfiltered commentary on social issues.
Cardi B's comments come at a time of heightened national debate over immigration enforcement. The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, has faced criticism from artists and activists for raids and deportations targeting undocumented immigrants, including those attending public events. In recent months, similar tensions have arisen at concerts and festivals in border states like California, where local officials have occasionally clashed with federal agents over enforcement priorities.
Within hours of the performance, the official X account for the Department of Homeland Security responded sharply to a post sharing Cardi B's remarks. Quoting the video, the agency tweeted: “As long as she doesn’t drug and rob our agents, we’ll consider that an improvement over her past behavior.” The statement, posted late Wednesday, quickly garnered thousands of reactions, amplifying the exchange into a viral moment.
The DHS retort referenced a controversial 2016 Instagram Live video in which Cardi B, then rising in the music industry, recounted her experiences as a stripper in New York City. In the clip, she described drugging and robbing men she met at the club, framing it as a survival tactic during tough financial times. “N****s must’ve forgot, my n***a, the shit that I did to muthaf—in’ survive. I had to go strip. I had to go, ‘Oh yeah, you wanna f–k me? Yeah yeah yeah, let’s go back to this hotel,’” she said in the video. “And I drugged n****s up and I robbed them. That’s what I used to do. Nothing was muthaf—in’ handed to me, my n—a. Nothing!”
The remarks resurfaced in 2019 amid Cardi B's growing fame, sparking backlash from some quarters who accused her of promoting criminal behavior. In response, the rapper took to social media to defend her past without apology, emphasizing the context of her upbringing in the Bronx. “I never claim to be perfect or come from a perfect world wit a perfect past, I speak my truth, I always speak my own s–t,” she wrote in a lengthy Instagram post at the time.
She elaborated on the pressures faced by women in similar situations, stating: “I made the choices that I did at the time because I had very limited options. I was blessed to have been able to rise from that, but so many women have not. Whether or not they were poor choice at the time, I did what I had to do to survive.” Cardi B concluded her message by acknowledging shared human flaws: “I have a past that I can’t change, we all do.”
Representatives for Cardi B did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Thursday morning, but the incident fits into a pattern of her using platforms to challenge authority figures. In 2020, she publicly criticized then-President Donald Trump on immigration policies, and she has donated to bail funds for protesters in immigrant communities. Her heritage as the daughter of immigrants has informed much of her activism, including calls for comprehensive reform during her testimony before the New York City Council in 2021 on affordable housing and economic inequality.
From the DHS perspective, the tweet was part of a broader communications strategy to push back against celebrity criticisms. The agency has increasingly engaged on social media to defend its operations, which in 2025 alone included over 150,000 deportations, according to official statistics. ICE, a component of DHS, focuses on interior enforcement, targeting individuals with criminal records or recent border crossers, though critics argue it casts a wide net affecting families and workers.
Legal experts noted that Cardi B's onstage comments, while inflammatory, likely fall under protected speech. “Threats against law enforcement are taken seriously, but context matters— this appears to be rhetorical flair in a performance setting,” said First Amendment attorney Rachel Klein, who reviewed the footage. “No specific threat was made, and the audience reaction suggests it was received as solidarity rather than incitement.” DHS has not indicated any plans to investigate the rapper, and local Palm Desert police reported no disruptions at the venue.
The exchange highlights ongoing cultural divides over immigration in the entertainment industry. Other artists, such as Bad Bunny and Rosalía, have similarly used concerts to protest ICE actions, sometimes leading to collaborations with advocacy groups like United We Dream. In California, a sanctuary state since 2017, such statements resonate deeply with Latino communities, who make up a significant portion of Cardi B's fanbase.
As the Little Miss Drama Tour continues, with the next stop in Las Vegas on Friday, questions linger about potential fallout. Promoters for the arena stated that the event proceeded without incident, and ticket sales for upcoming shows remain strong. Cardi B's team has promoted the tour as a celebration of resilience, drawing parallels to her own journey from stripping to stardom.
Beyond the immediate buzz, the episode underscores the intersection of music, politics, and personal history in American pop culture. Cardi B's unapologetic style has earned her both loyal supporters and detractors, but her ability to spark national conversations remains undiminished. Whether this leads to further dialogue on immigration reform or fades into tour lore, it serves as a reminder of the rapper's influence in shaping public discourse.
For now, fans are left anticipating more drama—on stage and off—as Cardi B navigates the spotlight. The DHS tweet, meanwhile, drew rebukes from free speech advocates, who called it an inappropriate jab at a private citizen's past. As one Twitter user put it in response, “Government agencies shouldn't be in the business of dredging up personal histories to score points.” The agency has not elaborated further on the post.