Federal immigration officers plan to be present at the 2026 Super Bowl in Santa Clara, California, where Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny is slated to headline the halftime show, according to Corey Lewandowski, an adviser at the Department of Homeland Security. Speaking Wednesday on The Benny Show, Lewandowski warned, "There is nowhere that you can provide safe haven to people who are in this country illegally. Not the Super Bowl and nowhere else." He emphasized that authorities will seek out and deport undocumented immigrants, asserting that this approach marks a shift from previous administrations.
The NFL confirmed over the weekend that Bad Bunny, a three-time Grammy winner, will lead the halftime performance next year. The singer responded in a statement, saying the honor is for his community, culture, and those who paved the way before him. However, Bad Bunny recently told i-D Magazine that concerns over ICE raids at events influenced his decision to not include US stops on his upcoming world tour.
"There was the issue of—like, f---ing ICE could be outside [my concert]," the rapper said in an interview published last month. "And it's something that we were talking about and very concerned about." Lewandowski, who previously managed Donald Trump's 2016 campaign, criticized the NFL for selecting Bad Bunny, claiming the league should choose entertainers who unite rather than divide. He described the selection as "shameful" and suggested it didn't represent American values.
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Lewandowski underscored that ICE's enforcement won't be limited to the Super Bowl, stating, "We're going to do enforcement everywhere. We are going to make Americans safe. That is a directive from the president." He urged undocumented immigrants to "go home," reiterating the administration's strict stance on immigration enforcement.