The Donald Trump administration is reportedly considering placing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents outside the 2026 Super Bowl venue in Santa Clara, California — because the halftime headliner will be Bad Bunny.
Every year, the NFL, Apple Music, and Roc Nation huddle to choose a superstar for the halftime show. It’s never simple — sometimes it means coaxing Rihanna out of quasi-retirement, other times it means navigating rap beefs and lawsuits. Even when the show breaks viewership records, there’s no pleasing everyone. But this year, the backlash has escalated to an unprecedented level because of what Bad Bunny has come to represent politically.
Bad Bunny is a three-time Grammy winner, often among Spotify’s top five most-streamed artists. The problem, critics say, is that he “hates America” — an accusation tied to his decision to skip the U.S. on his 2026 world tour.
Trump’s former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski made an appearance on Benny Johnson’s podcast to express this very concern. According to Variety Lewandowski said, “It’s so shameful they’ve decided to pick somebody who seems to hate America so much to represent them at the Halftime Show. 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.”
Lewandowski ran Trump’s 2016 campaign, but his current role in this specific Trump administration is unclear. All that’s clear is — like many other MAGA-centric celebrities — he has also joined in on the mass deportation crusade. Lewandowski was part of an immigration raid, and when the press asked DHS Secretary Kristi Noem about his status in the Trump administration, she called him an adviser and a special government employee.
Lewandowski then decided to give his next piece of advice to ICE on The Benny Show. When Johnson asked whether ICE would be at the Super Bowl, Lewandowski replied that no place in the U.S. should be a safe haven for “criminal aliens.” The Trump administration had already shared that they were trying to turn FIFA tournaments into ICE immigration raid sites. Lewandowski now seemingly confirmed that if it gets down to it, they will do the same with the Super Bowl.
CONFIRMED: ICE will be active and on-site at Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance.
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) October 1, 2025
Trump Advisor Corey Lewandowski warns: there’s no place ICE won’t go to remove criminal aliens from the US, even the Super Bowl:
"There is nowhere you can provide safe haven to people who are in… pic.twitter.com/kfKlGcuR7Q
Bad Bunny has not acknowledged any of the discussions or debates his announcement has caused. However, the Grammy-winning artist had previously addressed his choice not to perform in the U.S., saying it was because “ICE could be outside. And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about.”
That’s valid considering he makes music in Spanish and most of his fanbase is Latino — which in itself is actually something Trump wants as a legal precedent for ICE to detain individuals. If Bad Bunny refuses to be ICE bait, that’s a decision he’s making with full understanding that he’s leaving money on the table. The U.S. is a very large market for him, and this is a sacrifice.
The Super Bowl will be his only U.S. performance in 2026. Instead, he encourages American fans to travel to Puerto Rico for his residency.
