Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny has revealed that he omitted the United States from his upcoming world tour due to concerns that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents might target his concerts for immigration raids. In an interview with i-D magazine, the 31-year-old musician, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, said the decision was driven by fears for his fans' safety amid a surge in ICE enforcement under the Trump administration.
Bad Bunny stated that he and his team were 'very concerned' about the possibility of ICE agents being present outside his performances. He noted that while he has previously enjoyed successful shows in the US, the current climate of mass deportations—with ICE now aiming for a minimum of 3,000 arrests daily—made it untenable to include American dates on his tour.
The artist, who has been critical of ICE on social media, called its agents 'sons of bitches' in a June Instagram post. His decision comes amid broader alarm over ICE activities, including a Supreme Court ruling that granted federal agents the power to stop individuals in Los Angeles based on speaking Spanish or appearing Latino, which advocates say legalises racial profiling.
Bad Bunny's tour, supporting his album Debí Tirar Más Fotos, begins in the Dominican Republic on 21 November and concludes in Belgium next July. He encouraged US fans to attend his current residency in Puerto Rico, a US territory where he was born and lives.
