ICE officials may pop up at the 2026 Super Bowl, an adviser to Homeland Security signaled Wednesday, three days after Bad Bunny was named the halftime headliner.
The big picture: The Trump administration has been accused of racial profiling, in some instances, allegedly targeting Latino citizens in ICE raids.
Driving the news: Far-right commentators erupted in fury at the news that the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show headliner would Bad Bunny, who has become an increasingly political talking point after saying he would skip U.S. tour dates over ICE raid concerns.
- Conservative podcaster Benny Johnson asked Trump administration adviser Corey Lewandowski on his show if "ICE will have enforcement" at the Super Bowl show.
- "There is nowhere that you can provide safe haven to people in this country illegally. Not the Super Bowl and nowhere else," replied Lewandowski, who is a senior adviser to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, per a video posted to Johnson's Facebook page Wednesday.
- "We should be trying to be inclusive, not exclusive. There are plenty of great bands and entertainment people who could be playing at that show that would be bringing people together and not separating them," he 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."
- Bad Bunny did not immediately comment on Lewandowski's remarks.
Reality check: Bad Bunny, who was born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio in Puerto Rico, is a U.S. citizen since Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory.
- ICE cannot legally detain him.
- Many of his fans are also Mexican American and Puerto Rican, who are also U.S. citizens.
Zoom out: The Trump administration is facing criticism that it is using ICE to racially profile U.S.-born Latinos during immigration raids, which is against the law.
- ICE is facing a number of lawsuits for allegedly illegally detaining Mexican Americans.
Go deeper: MAGA erupts over NFL picking Bad Bunny for Super Bowl halftime show
Editor's note: This article has been updated with more comment from Trump administration adviser Corey Lewandowski and further context.
