Corey Lewandowski, a longtime Trump adviser and current special government employee for the Department of Homeland Security, says ICE agents will be present at the 2026 Super Bowl, GlobalNews reports. The statement came just days after the NFL officially announced Bad Bunny as the halftime show performer.

During an appearance on The Benny Show, host Benny Johnson asked if ICE would enforce immigration laws at the event. Lewandowski did not hesitate. “There is nowhere you can provide safe haven to people who are in this country illegally. Not the Super Bowl and nowhere else. We will find you. We will put you in a detention facility and we will deport you,” he said.

Lewandowski also blasted the NFL for its choice of headliner. “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 claimed, before suggesting the league should turn to acts that “bring people together and not separate them.”

Bad Bunny’s headline moment meets controversy

The comments from Lewandowski put politics directly into the halftime spotlight, something the NFL has tried to avoid in recent years. Bad Bunny, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, is one of the most influential artists in the world. His music, often performed in Spanish, has energized Latino audiences globally and made him the most-streamed artist for three years running.

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The Puerto Rican superstar has previously voiced concern about touring in the continental U.S. because he did not want his fans to feel unsafe in the presence of immigration enforcement. His decision to headline the Super Bowl stands in contrast to those concerns, and now his biggest stage will also be one of the most scrutinized.

For many Latinos, Bad Bunny represents joy and resilience in a year that has often felt overwhelming. His halftime commercial during the Packers-Cowboys game already set the tone: a simple scene with him perched on a goalpost, sunset at his back, wearing a suit and flip-flops while “Callaita” played. It signaled celebration, not division.

Yet Lewandowski’s warning fits into a larger backdrop. The Trump administration has leaned heavily into immigration crackdowns, often framing Latino communities as targets. Videos of ICE arrests and deportations circulate daily, feeding a culture war that stretches well beyond sports. The Supreme Court recently allowed ICE officers broader discretion to stop individuals based on appearance or language, with Justice Sonia Sotomayor writing in dissent about the dangers of profiling.

The Super Bowl is the biggest platform in American entertainment. For Bad Bunny, it was supposed to be a victory lap. Instead, it may become the latest flashpoint in a long fight over culture, politics, and belonging.