Cardi B’s triumphant return to the stage brings high emotions and a fresh beef with DHS

Cardi B kicks off the 35-stop “Little Miss Drama” tour in Palm Desert, California, before heading to Las Vegas.

Cardi B kicked off her highly anticipated “Little Miss Drama” tour with a night full of sequins, twerking, angel wings, a few tears, and a fresh social media spat with the Department of Homeland Security.

On Wednesday, Feb. 11, the 33-year-old Grammy-winning rap star’s tour celebrating her new album “Am I the Drama?” touched down at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, California. By the next day, she was making headlines for getting emotional onstage and for clashing online with Immigration and Customs Enforcement after issuing a pointed warning about any potential appearances at her shows.

“If ICE comes in here, we’re going to jump their a–es,” the rapper told the crowd after singing part of the late Tejano star Selena Quintanilla’s “Como La Flor.”

“I got some bear mace in the back. They ain’t taking my fans,” she added before launching into “I Like It.”

DHS, perhaps unwisely, responded to her comments in a post on X, writing, “As long as she doesn’t drug and rob our agents, we’ll consider that an improvement over her past behavior.”

Never one to back down from a spar, playful or otherwise, the “Up” rapper quickly fired back.

“If we talking about drugs let’s talk about Epstein and friends drugging underage girls to rape them. Why yall don’t wanna talk about the Epstein files?” she wrote in response, referring to the Department of Justice files connected to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Before the online back-and-forth, Cardi also surprised the audience during the opening night when she grew visibly emotional while addressing the crowd as she descended onto the stage from a pair of flying angel wings.

“I do not want to get emotional,” she said, according to a TikTok video from the show. “I just want to tell you, don’t let nobody take your happiness away from you,” she added before performing “Girls Like You,” her collaboration with Maroon 5.

The moment came amid renewed scrutiny over her relationship with boyfriend Stefon Diggs. Breakup rumors began circulating Monday, Feb. 9, after Super Bowl Sunday, when fans noticed the two no longer followed each other on Instagram following Diggs’ loss in the big game.

Based on her Instagram Stories, Cardi appeared to leave the stadium after the halftime show, where she was spotted in Las Casita during Bad Bunny’s performance. Later that night, she was seen at a Raising Cane’s party.

Ahead of kickoff, the rapper also offered an uncharacteristically curt response when asked by ESPN if she had any words for Diggs before the game.

“Good luck,” she deadpanned before walking off.

Next up, “The Little Miss Drama Tour” is headed to T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Friday, Feb. 13, with Cardi set to make over 30 more stops across the country and Canada.