Trump Adviser Claims ICE Agents Will Be at Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Show—Here’s Why

Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny performs during the first of his 30 concerts at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan, Puerto Rico. (Photo: EFE)

Washington, D.C. — October 2, 2025 - Corey Lewandowski, a longtime adviser to President Donald Trump, warned Thursday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will be deployed throughout the 2026 Super Bowl, including during Bad Bunny's headline halftime performance, to target undocumented immigrants in the crowd. The provocative statement, made on Fox News, escalates the administration's high-profile immigration enforcement tactics at major events, turning America's biggest sporting spectacle into a flashpoint for deportation fears.

Lewandowski's remarks followed the NFL's September 29 announcement that Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny—born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio—will headline the Apple Music Halftime Show at Super Bowl LX on February 8, 2026, at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. As the first Puerto Rican artist to lead the show, Bad Bunny joins Latin icons like Shakira and J Balvin in a performance expected to draw a massive, diverse audience of over 100,000 fans, many from the Bay Area's large Latino communities.

"There is nowhere you can provide safe haven to people who are in this country illegally, not the Super Bowl and nowhere else," Lewandowski said on "Fox & Friends," slamming the NFL's selection as "woke pandering" to "radical agendas." He referenced Bad Bunny's lyrics critiquing authority, like in "Yo Perreo Sola," and tied the threat to Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," which boosted ICE funding by $3 billion and set a 2 million annual deportation goal.

The pledge aligns with ICE's intensified operations at public gatherings. In the first nine months of 2025, the agency reported over 15,000 arrests at concerts, festivals, and sports venues, including a botched attempt to enter Dodger Stadium in June amid a Los Angeles Dodgers game. Social media amplified false claims of "dozens" detained during a September raid at the Santa Fe Springs Swap Meet, highlighting public anxiety over such sweeps.

Under Trump's directives, including a January executive order expanding biometric surveillance, ICE has embedded agents at events like Coachella and MLB All-Star games, using facial recognition to scan crowds. Lewandowski emphasized that Super Bowl security will feature "embedded" teams, potentially netting hundreds in a single operation given the event's $7 billion economic impact on host cities.

The comments triggered immediate backlash. Bad Bunny's team called the threat "chilling and un-American," committing to collaborate with the NFL on fan safety measures. On X, #ICEOutOfSuperBowl surged with over 250,000 posts, including calls for boycotts and memes mocking the administration—one user quipped, "Bad Bunny's about to drop the hottest diss track on ICE—'Perreo en la Migra' incoming." Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel lampooned the news in his monologue, joking about MAGA "melting down" over the artist.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom decried it as "authoritarian theater" aimed at Latino voters ahead of 2026 midterms, while Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted support for Bad Bunny's activism, from Puerto Rican voter drives to post-Hurricane Maria resilience anthems. The ACLU vowed legal action, citing a 2024 ruling curbing warrantless surveillance at events.

Even within the GOP, Sen. Lindsey Graham called the approach "tone-deaf." NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell stressed "inclusive events" but noted compliance with federal protocols. With Bad Bunny's 78.1 million monthly Spotify listeners fueling global hype, rumors swirl of guest appearances by Rosalía and protest-themed staging.

As rehearsals begin, the Super Bowl—once pure escapism—now symbolizes deeper divides. In Trump's border-focused America, halftime isn't just entertainment; it's enforcement territory.