Federal immigration officers are expected to be present at the 2026 Super Bowl in Santa Clara, California, where Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny is scheduled to headline the halftime show, according to Corey Lewandowski, an adviser at the Department of Homeland Security.
Speaking Wednesday on The Benny Show, Lewandowski said, “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 added that authorities will actively seek out and deport undocumented immigrants, framing the effort as a departure from the policies of previous administrations.
The NFL confirmed over the weekend that Bad Bunny, a three-time Grammy winner, will lead next year’s halftime performance. In a statement, the singer called the honor “for my community, my culture, and for those who paved the way before me.” However, he recently told i-D Magazine that concerns over ICE activity influenced his decision to skip U.S. stops on his upcoming world tour.
“There was the issue of—like, f—ing ICE could be outside [my concert],” Bad Bunny said in last month’s interview. “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 choosing Bad Bunny, arguing that the league should select entertainers who “unite rather than divide.” He described the selection as “shameful” and suggested it did not reflect American values.
He emphasized that ICE enforcement will not 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.” Lewandowski urged undocumented immigrants to “go home,” reaffirming the administration’s strict approach to immigration enforcement.