Kacey Musgraves has sparked controversy after she requested her fans to donate to an immigrant children’s rights organization as part of her birthday celebration during the launch of her “Middle of Nowhere” tour.
On Friday, the country singer celebrated her 38th birthday while kicking off her tour at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. During the event, Musgraves paused her performance to encourage attendees to support the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights.
“It’s a wonderful organization, and they help give aid — legal aid — and money to children whose parents have been deported unfairly,” Musgraves stated. “It’s not a political thing. It’s just, these kids need help.
She continued, “They have no guidance and no way to get through this thing without their homebase or their parents. So anyway, 50 cents, whatever the hell, I don’t know, whatever you want to do but that would mean a lot to me.”
“If you don’t want to, that’s totally fine too,” Musgraves added.
The eight-time Grammy Award winner’s plea was welcomed with applause and cheers from the Chicago audience. Nonetheless, her appeal received mixed reactions online, including criticism from conservative political commentators.
“What is an unfair deportation?” Tomi Lahren, host of Outkick’s “Tomi Lahren Is Fearless” podcast, questioned on X alongside a clip of Musgraves’ birthday appeal.
“Kacey Musgraves stopped her concert to ask the audience to donate money for legal aid to kids whose parents have been deported ‘unfairly.’ How about donating money the help kids who’s parents have been killed by illegal immigrants! What happened to the country music industry?” conservative influencer Vince Langman remarked.
“Another TRAITOROUS woman who wants nothing more than to see our country fall,” an X user commented.
“Shut up and sing Kasey (sic)!! Why do musicians think they Can draw a line in the sand? You alienate 50% of your audience,” another said.
Some critics announced they would cease supporting Musgraves and called for a boycott of her music and concerts.
“You just earned yourself a big ol’ boycott, you traitor,” one critic wrote. “Illegal aliens and their kids don’t deserve our patronage and neither do you!”
“I’m deporting Musgraves from all my music playlists,” another X user stated.
Some social media users suggested Musgraves should use her own resources rather than ask her fans for donations.
“Kacey Musgraves is worth $15 million. Yet she’s asking fans who already paid $150 to $350 for tickets to donate to support the children of illegal aliens,” one user commented. “If she cares that much, she can fund it herself and let them live in one of her multi-million-dollar mansions.”
“Everyone she is speaking too (sic) gave her their money when they bought tickets,” another added. “She did not give the audience money. So now she has the money, shouldn’t she donate to whatever cause she wants? She is actually on stage at a show that the audience had to pay to get admission to and now she is asking for more of their money. That’s rude.”
However, some of the “Dry Spell” singer’s supporters defended her actions on social media and applauded her for advocating for immigrant children.
“Love this. ‘It’s not a political thing. It’s just, these kids need help.’ Exactly. More artists doing this please,” one fan wrote on X.
“In all fairness, the kids didn’t do anything wrong,” another commenter said. “I don’t believe their parents were wrongfully deported, but I equally believe that their children, if retained in the United States by law, should be taken care of. We’re not f—— animals!”
“No boycott here!” declared an X user.
“Helping children caught in difficult circumstances is a worthy cause,” another user argued. “At the same time, immigration enforcement and whether a deportation was lawful or justified are matters for the courts and policymakers not concert stages.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to Musgraves’ representatives for comment.
Meanwhile, Musgraves remained firm in her stance on social media, sharing on her Instagram Story a post that read, “Kinda chic when kids don’t face immigration court alone.”
The singer also reshared a message from the Young Center’s Instagram page, where the organization expressed gratitude towards her.
“Thank you,” the nonprofit wrote. “We appreciate your support of our work and mission to see unaccompanied immigrant children safe, free, and with their families.”
Based in Chicago, the Young Center focuses on pairing volunteers with attorneys and social workers to support unaccompanied and separated immigrant children in government custody. Their priorities include family unity, release from custody, fair proceedings, and the children’s best interests.
The nonprofit reported serving 1,975 children from 53 countries in 2024 and opening 1,388 new cases. Its 2025 annual report indicated that children’s average detention time increased from 30 to 198 days, and requests for assistance from detained parents quadrupled from 2024.
Friday’s appeal continued Musgraves’ support for the charity. In April, resale platform Depop announced that 20 pieces from her wardrobe, including clothing from music videos and tours, would be sold in capsule drops. Women’s Wear Daily reported that all proceeds would benefit the Young Center.
In announcing the sale, Musgraves described the beneficiary without discussing immigration enforcement.
“I also adore the fact that the sales are supporting a really beautiful cause,” Musgraves said.
Musgraves also invited three brothers, ages 18, 14, and 12, to open three Texas shows in May after their family was released from ICE custody. The mariachi performers’ family stated they entered through the now-defunct CBP One appointment system in 2023 and sought asylum after fleeing violence in Mexico, KSAT reported.
DHS said the family entered illegally and had been released into the country by the Biden administration. Responding to the family’s detention, DHS stated federal law required custody while immigration claims were being processed.
“The law requires illegal aliens who show up at a port of entry without valid entry to be detained while all their claims are heard. You can look it up in the statute,” a DHS spokesperson told KSAT. “Unlike the previous administration, the Trump administration is not going to ignore the rule of law.
Musgraves’ latest remarks surfaced as ICE enforcement reached unprecedented levels. Federal sources informed Fox News Digital that agents made about 51,000 immigration arrests in July, surpassing the previous record of roughly 43,000 in June.
“Every day, the brave men and women of ICE are arresting and DEPORTING dangerous criminal illegal aliens, including gang members, from our country,” DHS stated.
The Chicago concert marked the beginning of Musgraves’ North American arena tour, with Midland as the opening act. Official tour listings confirmed dates continuing through October.
