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Bad Bunny says he deliberately left the United States off his latest sold-out world tour—not out of dislike, but out of concern for the fans who’d show up.
In a new interview with i-D magazine, the Puerto Rican superstar explained that he and his team worried Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) could use his concerts to target immigrant communities. “There were many reasons why I didn’t show up in the U.S., and none of them were out of hate,” he said. “I’ve performed there many times, and all of them have been magnificent.”
But the possibility of ICE waiting outside venues weighed too heavily. “There was the issue of, like, f**king ICE could be outside. And it’s something we were very concerned about,” he admitted.
Bad Bunny has been outspoken against immigration crackdowns before. In June, he shared a profanity-laced Instagram Story showing what looked like an ICE raid in Puerto Rico, captioning it simply: “ice.” His post came amid a months-long campaign that, according to NPR, led to more than 500 arrests since January.