Trump Makes Move After Bad Bunny Named Super Bowl Halftime Performer
Longtime Trump adviser Corey Lewandowski said Wednesday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will deploy agents at the 2026 Super Bowl, making clear there will be no “safe haven” for illegal immigrants—even at America’s biggest sporting event.
“There is nowhere you can provide safe haven to people who are in this country illegally,” Lewandowski said during an appearance on The Benny Show. “Not the Super Bowl and nowhere else. We will find you and apprehend you and put you in a detention facility and deport you. Know that is a very real situation under this administration, which is contrary to how it used to be.”
His comments came just hours after the NFL announced that Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny will headline the halftime show in Santa Clara, California. Bad Bunny, a three-time Grammy Award winner, has openly criticized ICE enforcement and previously canceled U.S. tour stops out of fear that fans might face detention at his concerts.
“But there was the issue of — like, f—ing ICE could be outside [my concert]. And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about,” the singer admitted in an interview with i-D magazine last month.
Lewandowski, who advises the Department of Homeland Security, blasted the NFL’s decision to put a divisive performer on stage at the nation’s most-watched television event.
“It’s so shameful they’ve decided to pick somebody who seems to hate America so much to represent them at the Halftime Show,” he said. “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 doubled down on the administration’s enforcement priorities: “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. We are going to make Americans safe. That is a directive from the president. If you’re in this country illegally, go home.”
A DHS spokesperson echoed the message in a statement to Fox News: “There is no safe haven for violent criminal illegal aliens in the United States.”
The choice of Bad Bunny immediately drew criticism from conservatives. Former IndyCar and NASCAR star Danica Patrick blasted the NFL’s decision, pointing to cultural concerns.
“Oh fun,” Patrick wrote on X. “No songs in English should not be allowed at one of America’s highest rated television events of the year … not just for sports.”
Patrick, who campaigned for Donald Trump during his 2024 run, argued that the NFL should showcase performers who unite Americans rather than alienate them.
The NFL defended its decision, however. “Bad Bunny represents the global energy and cultural vibrancy that define today’s music scene,” said NFL executive Jon Barker. “As one of the most influential and streamed artists in the world, his unique ability to bridge genres, languages, and audiences makes him an exciting and natural choice to take the Super Bowl halftime stage.”
But Bad Bunny’s own words suggested a narrower vision: “This is for my people, my culture, and our history,” he said following the announcement.
The New York Post reported that the league had initially courted Taylor Swift for the halftime performance before negotiations fell through.
With ICE now signaling a visible presence at the event, the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show may become as much about politics and cultural identity as it is about football.