Bad Bunny criticized ICE during his victory speech at the Grammys on Sunday night, just a week before Donald Trump’s agents will be patrolling when he performs at the Super Bowl.
The Puerto Rican artist was crowned winner of the Best Global Music Performance category at the start of what will be a controversial week for the 31-year-old, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio.
On February 8, he will finally take to the stage at Levi’s Stadium as the halftime performer during the Super Bowl between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots.
The announcement that Bad Bunny will perform was first made in late September, instantly placing the singer and rapper at the center of a political firestorm.
Within days, the choice drew sharp rebukes from high-ranking government officials who questioned the artist’s past criticisms of U.S. immigration policies. He previously cited ICE agents as a reason he did not include any mainland US dates for his tour.
Donald Trump was among those to criticize the decision and he later revealed that he would not be attending the game due to the Puerto Rican’s selection.
Bad Bunny criticized ICE during his victory speech at the Grammys on Sunday night
It comes a week before Trump’s agents will be patrolling when he performs at the Super Bowl
And with tensions high across America, Bad Bunny could not help but criticize ICE when he was presented with one of the Grammys’ iconic gramophones.
He said: ‘Before I say thanks to god, I’m going to say, ICE Out.’
He received a massive ovation from the crowd before he continued his speech. ‘We are not savage. We are not animals. We are not aliens. We are humans, and we are Americans.
‘The hate gets more powerful with more hate. The only thing that is more powerful than hate is love. So, please, we need to be different. If we fight, we have to do it with love.
‘We don’t hate them, we love our people, we love our family, and that’s the way to do it, with love.’
The Trump administration is expected to send ICE agents to the Bay Area ahead of the Seahawks’ clash with the Patriots.
Secretary of homeland security Kristi Noem previously vowed ‘we’ll be all over that place’ while a DHS official this week warned: ‘Those who are here legally and are not breaking other laws have nothing to fear.’
The Super Bowl heads to Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara amid heightened tensions across America following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, which came two weeks after 37-year-old Renee Good was fatally shot in her car by an ICE officer.
Their deaths have sparked widespread protests, with some in the Trump administration accusing local officials of not doing enough to support federal law enforcement and even heightening tensions.
‘We are not savage. We are not animals. We are not aliens. We are humans, and we are Americans,’ the Puerto Rican singer said.
President Trump has led the fury against the NFL’s decision to have Bad Bunny perform
This week, Santa Clara County Sheriff Bob Jonsen stoked the fires by revealing his forces won’t help ICE with their crackdown.
‘We will not be working or supporting ICE Immigration Enforcement,’ he told a news conference on Thursday.
‘I urge our federal partners, if there’s something that you’re planning to do in our community, please, please be transparent and reach out to your local officials so we can work as best we can.’
Jonsen attempted to reassure fans in the Bay Area, telling them: ‘If you see us out there, we’re there to help you and we will be there. Don’t hesitate to contact someone wearing a uniform as these events unfold if they’re walking around trying to engage and make sure you remain safe.’
He continued: ‘We are going to be here for you, side-by-side. So, as you’re getting off those trains [or] those buses… [there is a] high probability you’re going to see somebody in uniform.
‘But if they’re not masked, if they’re wearing tan and green or blue or black, trust me, they’re there for your protection. They are there for your protection.’
Reports on Thursday claimed there are no plans for ICE to carry out operations at Levi’s Stadium or at NFL-sponsored events in the build up to Super Bowl Sunday.
But DHS told TMZ that their plans to be on the ground around the Super Bowl had not changed despite unrest in Minneapolis.
Super Bowl LX between the Patriots and Seahawks will take place in Santa Clara, California
ICE agents will not be patrolling around Levi’s Stadium on Super Bowl Sunday, reports claim
Last year, meanwhile, Trump ally Corey Lewandowski warned: ‘There is nowhere that you can provide safe haven to people who are in this country illegally, not the Super Bowl, and nowhere else.’
He continued: ‘We will find you, we will apprehend you, we will put you in a detention facility and we will deport you.’
Noem even urged people to avoid the Super Bowl ‘unless they are law-abiding Americans who love this country,’ adding: ‘We’ll be all over that place… we’re gonna enforce the law.’
And earlier this week DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin said: ‘DHS is committed to working with our local and federal partners to ensure the Super Bowl is safe for everyone involved, as we do with every major sporting event, including the World Cup.’
