Essay: Bad Bunny will star in the Super Bowl LX halftime show. But will his fans be safe?

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Following a brief appearance at the 2020 Super Bowl halftime show featuring Shakira and Jennifer Lopez in Miami, Bad Bunny will be back next year – but this time as the main performer.

As a movie critic, I’m always looking for groundbreaking moments, and Super Bowl LX in 2026 promises just that! It’s set for February 8th at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. But the real buzz is around the performer – a Puerto Rican superstar! This performance is expected to be historic, marking the first time a fully Spanish-language act has graced the Super Bowl stage. What’s even more significant is that he’s the first Latino man to headline this massive event. It’s a huge step forward and I, for one, am incredibly excited to see it. You can find more details about the event here.

The news followed Bad Bunny, whose full name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, stating he wouldn’t be touring with his newest album, “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” across the continental U.S. because of worries that ICE might arrest people attending his concerts. “The problem was – like, the possibility of ICE being outside [my shows]. And that was something we discussed and were really concerned about,” he explained to i-D magazine.

Instead, the residency of the Grammy-winning artist, No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí (I Don’t Want to Leave Here), held at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan, is estimated to have generated $733 million for Puerto Rico. This boost came as over 600,000 tourists visited the island specifically to attend his concerts.

During the first night of his concert series in Puerto Rico, Bad Bunny energized the crowd-including LeBron James-with fresh tracks from his highly-anticipated 2025 album, “Debí Tirar Más Fotos.”

Even though Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory and not a state, ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) still operates there. In June 2025, Benito shared video on his Instagram stories showing an ICE raid happening in Carolina, where agents were arresting people who were believed to be living in the country without proper documentation.

However, after revealing he would perform at the Super Bowl halftime show, the singer hadn’t mentioned any issues with ICE. His recent post on X, which differs from his earlier statements about avoiding the U.S. to protest ICE, said: “I’ve been thinking about this lately, and after talking it over with my team, I’ve decided to do a single show in the United States.”

Because Santa Clara County is a sanctuary jurisdiction, immigration attorney Lina Baroudi, who practices in San Jose, doesn’t expect local police to work with ICE. She explains, “While federal agents can still operate on their own, sanctuary laws simply don’t stop them from being in public areas or carrying out federal warrants.”

From January to July in the Bay Area, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) made 2,640 arrests- that’s a 123% jump from the same period in 2024. According to Baroudi, “By June 2025, about 60% of ICE’s daily arrests in California involved individuals who hadn’t been charged with or convicted of any crime.” Historically, ICE increases its activity in cities hosting the Super Bowl. While ICE will probably not be allowed to operate inside the stadium, they can operate in public areas like the parking lot, where fans might be gathering for the pre-game performance. More information is available here.

With increasing reports of forceful ICE arrests, large-scale deportations, deaths in ICE detention, and the Supreme Court allowing racial profiling based on language-specifically Spanish-it’s particularly meaningful that Bad Bunny will perform at the Super Bowl. However, some fans are questioning whether his previous refusal to perform in the U.S. due to ICE’s actions was genuine, now that he’s accepted this Super Bowl performance. They speculate it might have been performative-a show of support without real action.

Politics

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) uses a large number of detention centers nationwide to hold immigrants, and individuals may be transferred between facilities as many as 15 times prior to being deported.

Considering the Trump administration’s negative stance towards immigrants and Spanish speakers in the U.S., it feels particularly meaningful that the nation’s most-watched sporting event will feature a performance sung completely in Spanish.

You know, when I heard what Bad Bunny said, it really hit me. He explained that what he’s feeling isn’t just about him – it’s about honoring everyone who paved the way so he could achieve this incredible moment, like scoring a touchdown after they ran all the hard yards. It’s totally for his people, his culture, and everything they’ve been through. And he ended it with a message to tell your grandma – they’re going to be the HALFTIME SHOW AT THE SUPER BOWL! It’s just…amazing.

It’s important to recognize that having Bad Bunny perform at the Super Bowl is a huge win for the NFL from a business perspective. After the U.S., Mexico had the most Super Bowl ticket resales on StubHub. There are 39 million Latine fans of the league in the U.S., and this group is growing faster than any other. Super Bowl viewership among Latine audiences increased by 51% between 2021 and 2024. This demonstrates a significant and growing interest in the game.

For years, the NFL has been actively working to expand American football’s reach internationally, particularly in Latin America. Recently, they featured Colombian singer Karol G in a halftime performance in Brazil. Considering the significant economic impact of the Latine community in the U.S. – estimated at $3.6 trillion – choosing Bad Bunny as a headliner is a smart step towards growing the league’s presence globally. This move demonstrates a clear strategy for international expansion.

The performance by the globally famous artist is expected to increase viewership. Last week, Amazon Music saw record-breaking livestream numbers thanks to Bad Bunny, who gave the most-watched solo performance ever on the platform. When his song “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” came out in January, it quickly reached number one on the Billboard 200 chart. This helped Bad Bunny continue to be one of the most-streamed artists on Spotify, a position he’s held for three of the last five years.

Starting in 2022, each year’s Super Bowl halftime show has attracted more viewers than the last. At the 2025 Super Bowl, Kendrick Lamar achieved a record-breaking audience of 133.5 million viewers for his performance – even more people watched his halftime show than the Super Bowl game itself.

The Bad Bunny halftime show could attract record numbers of viewers, reach new fans, and share the culture of Puerto Rico that he’s passionate about – but it also presents a possible safety concern for his Latine fans who will be there. These fans deserve our support and need more help from organizations and institutions.

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2025-10-01 00:02