Super Bowl Halftime Performer Bad Bunny Goes Off On America, Immigration During Grammys Speech
Bad Bunny used the Grammys stage to criticize America and immigration enforcement ahead of Super Bowl weekend.
"ICE out."
Puerto Rican artist and upcoming Super Bowl Halftime Show performer Bad Bunny used his acceptance speech at the Grammys on Sunday to slam federal immigration enforcement, amplifying anti-ICE rhetoric as unrest continues around the agency.
The speech began with a call to dismantle the federal agency:
"Before I say, thanks to God, I’m gonna say, ICE out. We’re not savages, we’re not animals, we are not aliens, we [are] humans, and we are Americans. I want to say to the people; I know it’s tough to know not to hate on these days. I was thinking sometimes, we get ‘contaminated.’ … The more 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 family. And that’s the way to do it, with love. Don’t forget that, please. Thank you. Thank you, God. And thank you to the Academy."
However, the speech leaned on a familiar conflation: the suggestion that Latinos are broadly characterized as "animals" by federal agents.
In reality, that language, when used by officials, has been aimed at violent gang members such as MS-13, not the broader Latino community.
By framing targeted enforcement as an attack on all Latinos, Bad Bunny advanced a strawman that collapses criminals and communities into the same category.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 01: Bad Bunny attends the 68th GRAMMY Awards on February 01, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
Bad Bunny is scheduled to perform at the Super Bowl LX, an announcement that has already drawn ire from NFL fans.
Critics argue Bad Bunny’s platform, which has included anti-American sentiment and sexually explicit content, stands in stark contrast to the event’s tradition.
OutKick’s Armando Salguero previously highlighted the disconnect between Bad Bunny’s messaging and the values many fans associate with football.
READ: NFL Turns Its Back On Moral Values By Picking Bad Bunny To Perform At Super Bowl Halftime
Amid ongoing tensions over ICE operations, numerous celebrities attended Sunday’s 68th annual awards show wearing "ICE OUT" pins.
High-profile names, including Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Jack Antonoff, Joni Mitchell, Jason Isbell, Margo Price, Kehlani, and Rhiannon Giddens, wore the pins and echoed the message.
Artist Bon Iver used his time before the awards show to speak out on recent events in Minneapolis:
"My hope has been dwindling, sort of wondering if the big cash out has to happen in the world for things to rebuild from nothing, but I started to see something in the organization in Minneapolis that feels like the first hope I’ve felt in a long time."
The anti-ICE sentiment has also spread into major sports leagues like the NBA, where prominent figures have blurred the scope of federal agents’ work.
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr incorrectly described federal operations as "not rooting out criminals," claiming instead they were pursuing kindergartners.
OutKick questioned Kerr on this assessment, prompting the Warriors coach to apologize and admit he was misinforming the public about what ICE was targeting.
Similarly, on Sunday, OutKick’s Dan Zaksheske asked Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers about his claims that ICE agents were guilty of "murder" following the death of 37-year-old Renee Good. Despite details that undercut that allegation, Rivers chose to double down on the claim.
Across American sports and culture, figures continue to use their massive platforms to distort immigration enforcement, often relying on generalized accusations that muddy the facts and inflame tensions.
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