Donald Trump Issues Controversial Super Bowl 'Directive' After Bad Bunny Row
US President Donald Trump and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have confirmed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers will be at the upcoming Super Bowl LX on February 8, despite widespread concerns following the deaths of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti.
The event will take place at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, featuring the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks.
Of course, in line with NFL tradition, the entertainment will continue at halftime when Bad Bunny performs, with Green Day also set to play at the opening ceremony.
Thirty-one-year-old Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny – real name Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio – performs mostly using Spanish and has been a critic of Trump and the Trump administration in recent times.
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In September of 2025, the artist confirmed that he would not play any tour dates in the US – apart from in Puerto Rico, which is an unincorporated territory of the US – due to the mass deportation of Latin Americans since Trump took office.
“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. All of [the shows] have been successful,” he explained when speaking to ID magazine.
“All of them have been magnificent. I’ve enjoyed connecting with Latinos who have been living in the U.S.”
Bad Bunny then claimed that the presence of ICE at his concerts could cause an “issue” before confirming that it was something he and his team had been “concerned about”.
In June of 2025, the artist also shared video footage of ICE raids in Puerto Rico and described the officers as “mother******s” and “sons of b*****s”.
The Puerto Rican was later announced as the Super Bowl halftime act, before Trump described himself as being “anti-them” when referring to Bad Bunny and Green Day - who have also spoken negatively about the President.
Despite attending last year’s event, this time around, Trump will not be at the Super Bowl due to logistical reasons, but his ICE officers will be, according to reports from FOX.
In October, DHS adviser Corey Lewandowski confirmed that ICE’s presence was a “directive from the president”.
"There is nowhere you can provide safe haven to people who are in this country illegally," Lewandowski said on "The Benny Show" podcast. "Not the Super Bowl and nowhere else. We will find and deport you. That is a very real situation."
Meanwhile, on January 26, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs of the DHS, Tricia McLaughlin Yoho, told TMZ that “those who are here legally” have “nothing to fear”.
Bad Bunny will be the first Latin American male to perform at the Super Bowl.
Topics: Super Bowl, Donald Trump, NFL
Luke Davies