Trump Advisor: ICE Agents at Bad Bunny Super Bowl Show
The Super Bowl Stage: A Party of Culture, or a Hunting Ground?
By Marcus Rodriguez
The Super Bowl halftime show has long been a global spectacle, a moment where music transcends sport and unites millions. For 2026, that moment promises to be historic, as Grammy-winning superstar Bad Bunny is poised to become the first artist ever to perform solely in Spanish on that colossal stage. It’s a landmark achievement, a vibrant affirmation of cultural reach and the undeniable power of Latin music.
But even before the first note is played, a shadow has been cast over this celebration. Corey Lewandowski, former campaign manager for Donald Trump, has issued a stark warning: ICE agents, he claims, will be present at the national event.
During an interview for Benny Johnson’s series “The Benny show,” Lewandowski was asked directly if “ICE will have enforcement at the Super Bowl for the Bad Bunny Super Bowl halftime.” His response was chillingly clear: “There is nowhere you can provide safe haven to people who are in this country illegally. Not the Super Bowl and nowhere else.”
He continued, with a chilling precision, “We will find you, we will apprehend you, we will put you in a detention facility, and we will deport you. so know that is a very real situation under this management, which is completely contrary to how it used to be.”
Lewandowski didn’t stop there. He called the decision to choose Bad Bunny as the halftime performer “shameful,” accusing the artist of seeming to “hate America.” He suggested there were “other great bands and entertainment people who could be playing at that show” instead.
“if there are illegal aliens,” Lewandowski asserted, “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.”
These words, delivered with such blunt force, transform a moment of cultural pride into a potential flashpoint of fear and division. They target not just an artist, but the millions of people who see themselves reflected in his music and his success.
Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, is not just popular; he is a global phenomenon. He was Spotify’s most streamed artist for three consecutive years from 2020 to 2022. His album A summer without you holds the record for the most-streamed album in Spotify history. This year alone, multiple tracks from his latest album, I had to throw more photos, soared to Number One on the Billboard Hot 100, Apple music, and Spotify. And in a testament to his enduring appeal, I had to throw more photos became the first album of 2025 to surpass 7 billion streams on Spotify. He is, without question, one of the most mainstream and popular artists in the world.
His decision to perform at the Super bowl comes with a poignant backstory. Prior to his announcement for the 2026 halftime show, Bad Bunny notably left the continental United States off his I had to throw more photos world tour. He explained that this decision was directly tied to the Trump administration’s mass deportations targeting latinos.”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,” Bunny stated at the time. “All of [the shows] have been successful. All of them have been magnificent.”
his past actions underscore a deep awareness of the human impact of immigration policies. Now, as he prepares to stand on one of the world’s biggest stages, his performance is being framed not just as entertainment, but as a potential trap.
The Super Bowl should be a unifying event, a shared experience of joy and competition. To threaten it with the specter of immigration enforcement is to weaponize culture,to turn a celebration into a source of anxiety for countless families.It’s a stark reminder that for many, the simple act of enjoying music can be fraught with political tension, and that the rhetoric of division continues to cast a long, unsettling shadow over the american experience.