A senior Trump adviser suggested that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will be present at the 2026 Super Bowl just days after the announcement that Puerto Rican artist will be performing the halftime show.
Corey Lewandowski, a senior advisor at the Department of Homeland Security, was asked by conservative podcaster Benny Johnson if ICE agents would be present at the show.
“There is nowhere that you can provide safe haven to people in this country illegally. Not the Super Bowl and nowhere else,” Lewandoski said. “If there are illegal aliens, I don’t care if it’s a concert for Johnny Smith or Bad Bunny or anybody else, we’re going to do enforcement everywhere because we are going to make Americans safe. That is a directive from the president. If you’re in this country illegally, do yourself a favor: Go home.”
Bad Bunny, who is legally named Benito Antonio Martínez, is the most popular Latin music artist and one of the most popular artists worldwide. He is the most streamed artist on Spotify, beating out Taylor Swift. Since Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, Bad Bunny is a United States citizen, and therefore can’t be detained.
The artist opted against making any stops in the United States for his upcoming Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour, citing his concerns that it could attract ICE agents, who have previously targeted immigration courts, churches and Home Depots.
“There were many reasons why I didn’t show up in the U.S., and none of them were out of hate — I’ve performed there many times. All of [the shows] have been successful,” Bunny told i-D Magazine. “But there was the issue of — like, f**king ICE could be outside [my concert]. And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about.”
Lewandowski also shared his disappointment that Bad Bunny was selected as the entertainment for the halftime show, calling for a more “inclusive” artist.
“It’s so shameful that they’ve decided to pick somebody who seems to hate America so much to represent them at the Halftime Show,” he said.
“We should be trying to be inclusive and not exclusive,” Lewandowski continued. “There are plenty of great bands and entertainment people out there who could be playing at that show that would be bringing people together and not separating them.”
Super Bowl LX will be held in Santa Clara, California, on February 8, 2026.
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