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Huge Singer Refuses To Tour In U.S. Over ICE Concerns

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Bad Bunny
Photo Credit: Toglenn, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Bad Bunny doesn’t want U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents near his concerts and it’s keeping him from performing in United States.

The Latin music superstar, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, admitted in an interview published last week that he deliberately left the U.S. off his “Debi Tirar Mas Fotos World Tour” over fears that ICE agents could target his Latino fans.

“There were many reasons why I didn’t show up in the U.S., and none of them were out of hate — I’ve performed there many times,” the Puerto Rican performer said.

He added that every stop in America had been “successful” and “magnificent” and that he enjoyed connecting with Latino communities living in the country.

But, as he bluntly put it, “like, f—ing ICE could be outside [my concert]. And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about.”

Bad Bunny linked his concerns directly to President Donald Trump’s second-term deportation agenda, saying the risk of ICE appearing at his shows was too great.

As a result, the artist’s current tour dates stretch across Europe, South America, and Australia, with the only U.S.-related stops being several shows scheduled in Puerto Rico in September.

The reggaeton star told his U.S. fans they were welcome to make the trip to see him perform.

“People from the U.S. could come here to see the show,” he said. “Latinos and Puerto Ricans of the United States could also travel here, or to any part of the world.”

This is not the first time the rapper has taken aim at ICE. During a visit to Puerto Rico in June, he posted footage to Instagram showing law enforcement vehicles and agents conducting what he claimed were ICE raids.

In Spanish, he mocked the agents, calling them “motherf——s” and “sons of b——.”

The video identified the location as Avenida Pontezuela in Carolina, just east of San Juan.

Since President Trump’s inauguration, ICE has strengthened its operations in Puerto Rico.

Officials report that over 500 illegal immigrants, largely from the Dominican Republic, have been arrested on the island.

ICE’s top investigator there, Rebecca González-Ramos, estimated that around 20,000 people in Puerto Rico are living without legal status.

“Our mandate,” she said, “is 100 percent. So everybody that’s in the United States, and in this case in Puerto Rico, without an immigration status, needs to be removed or deported.”

When asked about Bad Bunny’s recent comments, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson didn’t mince words.

“Does Bad Bunny perform exclusively for criminal illegal aliens?” she said to Fox News.

ICE has also been expanding operations in U.S. cities. Agents were recently sent to Los Angeles, Washington, Boston, and Chicago, intensifying concerns in Latino communities already wary of immigration enforcement.

These heightened fears coincided with Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated annually between September 15 and October 15.

Some festivals and parades were canceled, with organizers citing safety worries and potential raids.

Sacramento’s Mexican Independence Day celebration was canceled, as were events in North Carolina, Louisiana, and Indiana.

In Chicago, organizers of the El Grito festival postponed their event, blaming what they described as the risk created by Trump’s “Operation Midway Blitz” immigration crackdown.

“It was a painful decision, but holding El Grito Chicago at this time puts the safety of our community at stake – and that’s a risk we are unwilling to take,” festival organizers said.

Local leaders urged residents not to react with violence during the tense time in Chicago.

“We will not allow others to use our fear or our anger against us,” said Berto Aguayo of the Chicago Latino Caucus Association. “We will protect each other and peacefully protest.”

Tensions boiled over last Friday when 38-year-old Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez allegedly resisted arrest in Illinois.

Authorities said he attempted to flee in his vehicle, dragging an ICE officer before being shot and killed.

According to a department press release, Villegas-Gonzalez “refused to follow law enforcement’s commands and drove his car at law enforcement officers.”

One officer was struck and “dragged a significant distance.” The officer, fearing for his life, fired his weapon. He was hospitalized but is in stable condition.

DHS officials reported Villegas-Gonzalez had a record of reckless driving and had entered the U.S. illegally at an unknown date.

Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin defended the officer’s response, stating, “He followed his training, used appropriate force, and properly enforced the law to protect the public and law enforcement.”

She warned that “viral social media videos and activists encouraging illegal aliens to resist law enforcement not only spread misinformation, but also undermine public safety, as well as the safety of our officers and those being apprehended.”

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker responded to the incident by calling for transparency from the federal government.

“The people of Illinois deserve a full, factual accounting of what’s happened today to ensure transparency and accountability,” he said.

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