After organizers confirmed Bad Bunny as the headline performer for the 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show, a senior adviser aligned with former President Trump warned that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers will be present at the event.

During a Wednesday appearance on “The Benny Show” on Oct. 1, 2025, Corey Lewandowski — who served as campaign manager in 2016 and 2024 and now consults for the Department of Homeland Security — was asked whether ICE would be deployed to Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara for the Feb. 8, 2026 game.

Lewandowski responded that venues cannot shelter people living in the country unlawfully and said enforcement agents will locate, detain and process those found in violation of immigration laws rather than permit them to remain undetected at the event.

He also framed the administration’s stance as a departure from previous practices, saying the current approach places a higher priority on enforcement than earlier administrations.

His comments followed the announcement naming Benito the Super Bowl headliner by just a few days. Bad Bunny first appeared on the Super Bowl stage six years earlier as part of the Jennifer Lopez and Shakira halftime show.

Earlier this week, Bad Bunny — who is from Puerto Rico — said he had decided to book only a single U.S. date for his tour after weighing several concerns, including the possibility that immigration agents might target concertgoers. “I’ll do just one date in the United States,” he wrote on X on Sept. 28.

Lewandowski also criticized the choice of performer, saying it was inappropriate to select someone he characterized as hostile toward the country to represent the halftime show and arguing the event should promote unity rather than division.

Observers note that Lewandowski’s suggestion that Bad Bunny “hates America” contrasts with the artist’s own explanations for his limited U.S. appearances. In a September interview with I‑D, Bad Bunny said his decision not to tour extensively in the United States stemmed from multiple considerations and was not rooted in animosity toward the country.

At the time, he singled out the risk of immigration enforcement at concerts as a specific concern, saying he and his team worried that ICE might be stationed outside shows and that this threat factored into routing decisions for his Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour.

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