Bad Bunny says immigration raids are a key reason he left the United States off his upcoming world tour. The Puerto Rican superstar told i-D magazine that mass deportations of Latinos influenced his decision to avoid U.S. concert dates.
Tour skips US
Bad Bunny had already sparked speculation in June when he told Variety that performing in the United States felt unnecessary, without providing details. Fans quickly linked his absence to heightened ICE raids and safety concerns.
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“Knowing ICE, if Bad Bunny were to tour in the U.S., they’ll use the locations of arenas and stadiums just to arrest and deport people,” one X user wrote at the time.
Now, the artist has confirmed those fears played a role.
“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,” he told i-D.
Bad Bunny goes on to say he even enjoys performing in the U.S. and that fans could travel to the parts of the world he hasn’t visited much for shows.
“But there was the issue of—like, f—-g ICE could be outside [my concert]. And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about,” he said.
Instead of touring the mainland, Bad Bunny has been performing a 30-show residency in Puerto Rico. The run of sold-out concerts generated a $200 million economic impact, according to Forbes.
Political voice
Bad Bunny has long mixed music and politics. Last year, he endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris during her presidential run and often spotlights immigration issues in his work.
In a recent music video, he draped a Puerto Rican flag from the Statue of Liberty — with him standing inside.
Another scene, a President Donald Trump impersonator heard on the radio.
“I want to say that this country is nothing without the immigrants. This country is nothing without Mexicans, Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, Colombians, Venezuelans, Cubans,” the radio said, before a group of men shut it off and walked away.
The video closed with the message, “Together we are stronger.”
Bad Bunny’s world tour kicks off in November in the Dominican Republic. He’ll perform across Latin America and Europe before wrapping up in Belgium next July.
