Corey Lewandowski, a senior adviser at the Department of Homeland Security, confirmed this week that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will be deployed at the upcoming Super Bowl.
His announcement comes as the NFL faces scrutiny for selecting Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny, a vocal critic of ICE, to headline the halftime show.
Bad Bunny has been outspoken in his opposition to ICE policies and previously vowed not to perform in the United States during President Trump’s first term
. “Honest, I can’t risk the safety of my fans like that. Mainland America just doesn’t feel necessary to me anymore,” he said at the time.
“I’ve already performed there many times. Fans in the U.S. have had plenty of chances to see me perform live.”
In an interview with i-D Magazine last month, Bad Bunny raised concerns about potential enforcement actions at his events.
“But there was the issue of — like, fucking ICE could be outside [my concerts]. And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about,” he said.
Despite those remarks, the singer has embraced the NFL stage.
In a statement issued Sunday following the league’s announcement, he said, “What I’m feeling goes beyond myself. It’s for those who came before me and ran countless yards so I could come in and score a touchdown … this is for my people, my culture and our history.”
Lewandowski addressed the matter during an appearance with host Benny Johnson on Wednesday, making clear that ICE will have a presence at the game.
“There is nowhere that you can provide safe haven to people in this country illegally. Not the Super Bowl and nowhere else,” Lewandowski said.
“We will find you. We will apprehend you. We will put you in a detention facility, and we will deport you. So know that that is a very real situation under this administration, which is completely contrary to what how it used to be.”
He also criticized the NFL for its choice of entertainment.
“It’s so shameful that they’ve decided to pick somebody who just seems to hate America so much to represent them at the halftime game,” Lewandowski said.
Reflecting on last year’s game, Lewandowski noted that he had attended the Super Bowl in Louisiana alongside President Donald Trump.
“I was at the Super Bowl last year with President Trump. I had the chance to be in Louisiana in his box and watch the game, and got to enjoy that,” he said.
Lewandowski added that the league could have gone in another direction with its selection. “But listen, we should be trying to be inclusive and not exclusive. There are plenty of great bands and entertainment people out there who could be playing at that show that would be bringing people together and not separating them.”
The NFL has not publicly responded to criticism of its choice of halftime performer.
The league’s selection of Bad Bunny follows years of high-profile halftime acts and often draws national debate over the artists chosen.
With ICE operations confirmed for the event, the intersection of entertainment and enforcement is set to be a prominent backdrop at this year’s Super Bowl.
The game will take place under heightened security as federal authorities prepare for one of the largest annual gatherings in the country.
