Musician Kid Rock has publicly responded to reports that his Nashville-branded establishment, Kid Rock‘s Big A*s Honky Tonk Rock ‘n’ Roll Steakhouse, was among several bars that closed early last week to allegedly avoid a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation. While distancing himself from the day-to-day operations of the venue, Kid Rock used the occasion to state his firm views on U.S. deportation policy and legal immigration.
The controversy arose following reports from The Tennessean and The Nashville Scene detailing a weeklong operation by ICE‘s New Orleans field office in the Nashville area. The Nashville Scene specifically reported that on Saturday night, May 17, 2025, employees without legal citizenship status at several bars owned by Nashville businessman Steve Smith—including The Diner, Honky Tonk Central, and the steakhouse bearing Kid Rock‘s name—left the premises during a primetime rush at the instruction of managers to avoid potential detention by ICE agents. This reportedly led to service disruptions.
In a social media post on Monday, May 19, responding to a Daily Mail US about the incident at his namesake venue, Kid Rock clarified his involvement and shared his perspective.
“Clearly I do not have anything to do with day to day operations at my Honky Tonk – but it’s good click bait,” Kid Rock wrote. “I get it.”
He then moved to his perspective on immigration enforcement: “That being said I 100% support getting illegal criminals out of our country no matter where they are. I also like President Trump want to speed up the process of getting GREAT immigrants into our country – LEGALLY! It’s that simple folks.”
Kid Rock concluded his statement with a critique of how such stories are often framed, adding: “But the below is not a juicy enough headline to get clicks and views.. in this day and age the truth often is not.”
While Kid Rock‘s name and image are licensed for the Nashville establishment, it is owned and operated by Steve Smith, who also owns the other venues reportedly affected by the early closures due to the ICE operation.
