Kid Rock Says Deport Illegal Immigrants ‘No Matter Where They Are’ After ‘Clickbait’ Claim His Nashville Restaurant Closed over ICE Activity

The musical artist Kid Rock on Monday condemned the report claiming his Big Honky Tonk Rock N’ Roll Steakhouse closed early on a Saturday night earlier this month so that illegal immigrant workers might avoid rumored activity by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP). He instead offered his full support for the President Donald Trump and his immigration agenda.

The Nashville Scene reported the Steakhouse, which is operated by Nashville businessman Steve Smith, was among the restaurants that reportedly closed early in Nashville on May 10. The outlet claimed that managers at the establishments operated by Smith instructed “employees without legal citizenship status” to leave the premises “during a primetime rush on Saturday night to avoid detention by ICE agents.”

Kid Rock, in a post to the social media platform X, clarified that he is not involved in day-to-day operations at the establishment, but confirmed his support for ICE enforcement operations.

“Clearly I do not have anything to do with day to day operations at my Honky Tonk – but it’s good click bait, I get it,” wrote the artist. “I 100% support getting illegal criminals out of our country no matter where they are.”

It is a violation of Tennessee Code 50-1-103 to knowingly employ an illegal alien, while similar federal law could see businesses employing illegal immigrants hit with fines of up to $10,000 per alien worker who is knowingly employed.

While the artist wrote that he would like to see the speed of the legal immigration process increased, “like President Trump,” the artist said the facts regarding his Steakhouse in Nashville were “not a juicy enough headline to get clicks and views.”

Kid Rock is a vocal supporter of President Donald Trump, with the New York Post recently reporting the artist began supporting Trump publicly in 2016. The outlet also noted that Kid Rock performed at the Republican National Convention last year, and has attended Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) events with Trump on multiple occasions.

The artist’s Nashville establishment previously drew controversy during the COVID-19 pandemic, when it initially refused to comply with restrictions set by the Metro Nashville government. Its owners called orders that required the business to close unconstitutional. Smith was later among several businessmen who sued the city over its pandemic restrictions.

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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].