Bad Bunny reveals threat of possible ICE raids stopped him touring the US
Bad Bunny has admitted that the threat of possible ICE raids at his concerts led him to avoid playing the United States on his current tour.
This summer, the musician, real name Benito Ocasio, embarked upon a 30-date residency at the Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in Puerto Rico. Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday since July 11th, he has been performing at the venue, with the run of shows set to end on September 14th.
For those who were unable to make it to his Puerto Rican dates, Bad Bunny announced an extensive world tour. He will visit the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Australia, Japan, Spain, Portugal, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France, Sweden, Poland, Italy and Belgium.
Notably, one country that he won’t be visiting is the United States. The Latin star previously told Variety in June that it was “unnecessary” due to his previous shows in America, but has now admitted that ICE played a role in his decision-making.
When asked directly, he told ID in a new interview: “Man, honestly, yes. There were many reasons why I didn’t show up in the US, and none of them were out of hate—I’ve performed there many times. All of [the shows] have been successful. All of them have been magnificent.”
The Puerto Rican continued, “I’ve enjoyed connecting with Latinos who have been living in the US, but specifically, for a residency here in Puerto Rico, when we are an incorporated territory of the US… People from the US could come here to see the show. Latinos and Puerto Ricans of the United States could also travel here, or to any part of the world.”
He concluded by highlighting the possibility of ICE detaining fans at his shows, adding, “But there was the issue of—like, fucking ICE could be outside [my concert]. And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about.”
In June, Bad Bunny took to Instagram Stories after witnessing what appeared to be an ICE raid in Avenida Pontezuela in Carolina, Puerto Rico. In the background of the video, which showed agents detaining people in the street, he said, “Look, those motherfuckers are in these cars, RAV-4s. They’re here in Pontezuela. Sons of bitches, instead of leaving the people alone and working there.”
According to Reuters, over 100,000 people were arrested by ICE from January 20th, the day Trump returned to the Oval Office, to the first week of June. As of June 15th, more than 56,000 people were in custody.
In July, the Los Angeles Dodgers issued a statement on social media revealing “ICE agents came to Dodger Stadium and requested permission to access the parking lots”, which they refused to permit.
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