Zach Bryan’s supporters may be eagerly awaiting his next release, but some officials at the Department of Homeland Security have voiced sharp objections to a line from a recent song preview he shared.

Tricia McLaughlin, the DHS assistant secretary for public affairs, criticized the lyric in a statement to TMZ on October 7, 2025, telling the singer to “stick to ‘Pink Skies,’” a reference to Bryan’s 2024 hit.

The passage that prompted the reaction includes a line in which Bryan suggests that Immigration and Customs Enforcement would “bust down your door,” a phrase he posted as part of a short teaser for an unreleased song.

Billboard has contacted Bryan’s representatives and the Department of Homeland Security for comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.

McLaughlin’s remarks follow a clip Bryan shared four days earlier, which he captioned, “the fading of the red white and blue.” The brief excerpt—part protest, part reflection—aligns him with other artists who have recently used their platforms to critique the nation’s immigration policies.

The snippet sparked swift pushback from advocates of the Trump administration’s intensified immigration enforcement, who have defended ICE’s raids and mass deportation tactics. Supporters of Bryan, meanwhile, see the verse as another artist speaking out on humanitarian and policy concerns.

In a related cultural moment, Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny was announced as the Super Bowl LVIII halftime performer for 2026. That announcement prompted comment from DHS adviser Corey Lewandowski, who said on The Benny Show on October 1, 2025, that ICE agents would be present at the event and that venues cannot offer sanctuary to people in the country unlawfully.

As debate around immigration enforcement continues to play out in both policy and pop culture arenas, Bryan’s teaser has intensified conversations about where artists fit within those conversations—and how officials choose to respond.

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