Puerto Rican music superstar Bad Bunny (Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio) was recently announced as the headliner for the upcoming NFL Super Bowl halftime show. The announcement, however, quickly became a flashpoint for political controversy, especially from Donald Trump supporters.
Donald Trump’s mass deportation policies have already been in the news for their record. According to reports, the Trump-aligned Department of Homeland Security has threatened to deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at the Super Bowl.
Corey Lewandowski, former Trump campaign manager and current DHS adviser, appeared on a conservative podcast stating that ICE will be “out in full force.” As per The Irish Star, Corey Lewandowski warned everyone, saying, “There is nowhere you can provide a safe haven to people in this country illegally, not the Super Bowl and not anywhere else.”
Lewandowski’s comments sparked outrage online. He also took issue with the NFL’s choice of Bad Bunny, accusing the artist of “hating America” and questioning his citizenship as a MAGA-affiliated Reddit user falsely claimed that Bad Bunny wasn’t a U.S. citizen. However, the assumption was later dismissed, pointing out that the artist is from Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, and Bad Bunny is an American citizen.
Another user clarified on the question-answer platform: “Rihanna, Shakira, Coldplay, The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, U2 – all not U.S. citizens. Bad Bunny-U.S. citizen.” A third user educated the user who started the thread on Reddit and said, “To MAGA, Puerto Ricans are just Mexicans who live in New York.”
He is one of the best Latin rappers. He was born in Bayamón and raised in a humble family in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico. His mother was a retired school teacher, and his father was a truck driver. Even though his records claim he was an American by birth, questioning his citizenship seems absurd, especially considering he has sold over seven million records worldwide.
“What I’m feeling goes beyond myself,” Bad Bunny said in a statement. “It’s for those who came before me and ran countless yards so I could come in and score a touchdown… this is for my people, my culture, and our history. Ve y dile a tu abuela, que seremos el HALFTIME SHOW DEL… pic.twitter.com/Br1MkpoWxx
— Bruno Mars (@BrunoMars) September 29, 2025
The King of Latin Trap has previously been vocal in his criticism of the Trump administration and its immigration policies. In a past interview with i-D Magazine, the Grammy-winning artist revealed he had opted to leave the mainland U.S. off his world tour due to fears of ICE targeting his concerts.
He was upset with the ICE authorities and said that he feared they could be outside his concerts picking up people. Meanwhile, Corey Lewandowski said that the administration’s prime priority was enforcement, and they did not care about circumstances. “We’re going to do enforcement everywhere… If you’re in this country illegally, do yourself a favor: go home,” he added.
Despite being accused of their ruthless immigration policies, the alleged abuse at ‘Alligator Alcatraz’, the detention centre of Florida, Donald Trump and his administration, on 28 August 2025, CNN reported that ICE alone has deported nearly 200,000 people in seven months since Trump returned to office.
Yet, Bad Bunny remains an icon who has helped Spanish rap reach mainstream popularity in the global market. His notable collaborations include superhit tracks like “I Like It” with Cardi B and J Balvin, “Mia,” a collaboration with Canadian rapper Drake. The track reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100.
