ICE at the Super Bowl? Trump Adviser Says Agents Will Patrol Bad Bunny’s Halftime Show
Federal immigration agents could patrol the Super Bowl in Santa Clara when Bad Bunny headlines the Apple Music Halftime Show in February 2026.
Corey Lewandowski, a Homeland Security adviser and former Trump campaign manager, said on “The Benny Show” that “there is nowhere you can provide safe haven to people who are in this country illegally. Not the Super Bowl and nowhere else,” and warned, “We will find you and apprehend you and put you in a detention facility and deport you.”
He called the NFL’s choice “so shameful,” claiming the league picked “somebody who seems to hate America.”
The quote that sparked it
Lewandowski’s comments came after Bad Bunny was named the 2026 headliner. When asked if “ICE will have enforcement at the Super Bowl,” he answered that agents would conduct enforcement “everywhere.” He repeated the point and argued that other entertainers “could be playing at that show that would be bringing people together.”
Bad Bunny explained why he avoided U.S. tour dates
The controversy intersects with the artist’s own words. Last month, he told i-D that he skipped U.S. stops in part because “f***ing ICE could be outside [my concert]. And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about.” He added, “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.”
The headliner spot still stands
The NFL, Apple Music, and Roc Nation announced Bad Bunny as the Super Bowl LX headliner on Sunday. “What I’m feeling goes beyond myself. It’s for those who came before me and ran countless yards so I could come in and score a touchdown… this is for my people, my culture, and our history,” he said in the league’s statement. Even Jay-Z praised the choice, saying, “What Benito has done and continues to do for Puerto Rico is truly inspiring.”
The backlash narrative grows
The announcement drew immediate pushback from right-wing commentators. Calls for immigration enforcement at the game and highlighted complaints about his Spanish-language catalog, and criticism of Trump. Newsweek tracked a MAGA push to stage a rival halftime show featuring Creed. Forbes noted that Benny Johnson called Bad Bunny a “massive Trump hater” and “anti-ICE activist” and amplified claims that his selection was “shameful.”
What this means for fans
Facts matter here. Bad Bunny was born in Puerto Rico and is a U.S. citizen. Many of his fan base in the stands will also be U.S. citizens, including Mexican Americans and Puerto Ricans. The Independent reported previous DHS pushback to the idea of concert venue raids, citing an agency official who told NPR in an earlier context that “ICE is not raiding concert venues.” Still, Lewandowski’s new on-air warning sets a tone for the event and raises concern among immigrant communities planning to attend.
