Immigration and Customs Enforcement might be making an appearance at the 2026 Super Bowl but not in the way fans were hoping. Donald Trump’s former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski has claimed ICE will be on site when Bad Bunny headlines the Halftime Show, slamming the NFL’s choice of performer as ‘so shameful.’
Speaking on conservative host Benny Johnson’s podcast, Lewandowski accused the Puerto Rican megastar of ‘hating America.’ He went further, suggesting that fans without legal status could face detention. ‘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. ‘We will find you and apprehend you and put you in a detention facility and deport you.’
The remarks echo a broader culture clash surrounding Bad Bunny’s booking, Johnson backed it up on social media, branding him a ‘massive Trump hater’ and ‘anti-ICE activist’ while mocking the fact that ‘he has no songs in English.’ Lewandowski argued the NFL could have picked artists who ‘bring people together’ instead of stoking division.
Bad Bunny has never shied away from calling out ICE. Last month, he told i-D that fears of immigration raids influenced his decision to skip U.S. dates on his current tour. ‘Fing ICE could be outside [my concert]. And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about,’ he explained. On social media, he’s gone further, calling agents ‘motherfers’ and ‘sons of b*tches.’
Despite the political noise, Bad Bunny’s announcement as Halftime headliner has already moved the needle. Billboard reported an 18 million stream day after the reveal, a 31 percent jump. For the artist, the slot is more than just a show. ‘This is for my people, my culture, and our history,’ he said in a statement.
With the Super Bowl now doubling as a political flashpoint, one thing’s certain, Bad Bunny’s set won’t just be watched, it’ll be scrutinised.
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