Bad Bunny and his upcoming Super Bowl halftime performance have drawn sharp criticism from Trump administration officials who continue to warn of potential immigration crackdowns at the 2026 NFL championship in California.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem lashed out at the NFL’s decision to book the Puerto Rican-born reggaeton star, claiming the league’s executives “won’t be able to sleep at night” after choosing him to headline the show.
“They suck, and we’ll win, and God will bless us, and we’ll stand and be proud of ourselves at the end of the day,” Noem said during an interview with conservative host Benny Johnson. “They won’t be able to sleep at night because they don’t know what they believe, and they’re so weak, we’ll fix it.”
Noem also confirmed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents will be deployed at the event.
“We’re going to enforce the law,” she said. “So I think people should not be coming to the Super Bowl unless there are law-abiding Americans who love this country.”
The Grammy-winning artist previously canceled his U.S. tour dates this year, citing fears that ICE agents could target Latino attendees. In a September interview with i-D magazine, he said, “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.”
Corey Lewandowski, a senior adviser at the Department of Homeland Security and longtime Trump ally, echoed Noem’s message, warning undocumented immigrants to stay away from the Super Bowl.
“There is nowhere you can provide safe haven to people who are in this country illegally,” Lewandowski said 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.”
He also took aim at the NFL’s performer selection. “It’s so shameful they’ve decided to pick somebody who seems to hate America so much to represent them at the halftime show,” Lewandowski said.
Despite the rhetoric, Bad Bunny addressed the issue during his monologue on SNL last night.
By the way, Bad Bunny is a U.S. citizen. Congress granted American citizenship to Puerto Ricans in 1917 through the Jones Act. Anyone born in Puerto Rico is automatically a U.S. citizen.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt attempted to walk back the idea of a formal ICE operation at the game, saying, “As far as ICE being at the Super Bowl, as far as I’m aware there’s no tangible plan for that in store right now.”
Still, she reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to immigration enforcement.
“This administration is always going to arrest and deport illegal immigrants when we find them if they are criminals.”
The NFL announced Bad Bunny’s halftime show slot in late September, making him the first reggaeton artist to headline the event. Super Bowl LX is set for February 2026 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
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