Bad Bunny received a standing ovation at the 2026 Grammys after opening his acceptance speech with a message aimed at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, delivered against the backdrop of escalating immigration-related tensions and violence.
The 31-year-old Puerto Rican artist — born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio — took the stage on Sunday, Feb. 2, after winning the Grammy for Best Música Urbana Album for DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS.
“Before I say thanks to God, I’m gonna say ICE out. We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens—we are humans, and we are Americans,” he said, drawing applause and a standing ovation from the crowd.
He continued by urging people not to let anger define them, pausing to translate a thought he expressed in Spanish.
“Also, I wanna say to the people: I know it’s tough not to hate these days, and I was thinking sometimes we get contaminado. I don’t know how to say that in English,” he added. (“Contaminado” translates to “contaminated” in English.)
Bad Bunny then underlined the theme he returned to throughout the moment: love as a response to conflict.
“The only thing that is more powerful than hate is love,” he said, calling for a different approach to fighting back.
“We have to be different. If we fight, we have to do it with love. We don’t hate them. We love our people, we love our 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 Grammys,” he concluded.
His remarks follow earlier signals that he would limit U.S. tour plans amid the Trump administration’s expanded immigration enforcement. The administration has broadened operations nationwide since President Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025, and ICE detention numbers have climbed to record levels by early 2026 — fueling fierce debate among lawmakers, civil rights groups, and communities across the country.
Tensions have been especially pronounced in Minneapolis, where a federal operation dubbed Operation Metro Surge deployed thousands of ICE and Customs and Border Protection officers into the city. The operation drew national attention after multiple violent confrontations between federal agents and local residents last month, including the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good, 37, by an ICE agent on Jan. 7 and the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, 37, on Jan. 24 by U.S. Border Patrol officers.
Both deaths sparked large protests, political backlash, and calls for independent investigations.
Bad Bunny has also faced criticism from Trump, 79, and conservative figures following his announcement as the headliner for the Super Bowl LX Halftime Show on Sunday, Feb. 8. After the announcement, he said the performance is “for my people, my culture, and our history.”
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem has previously said ICE agents would be “all over” the Super Bowl, though Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin would not confirm that.
“We will not disclose future operations or discuss personnel. Super Bowl security will entail a whole of government response conducted in-line with the U.S. Constitution,” McLaughlin said on Jan. 29. “Those who are here legally and are not breaking other laws have nothing to fear.”
Bad Bunny earned six Grammy nominations this year. He also won Best Global Music Performance for “EoO” before the main broadcast.
The Grammys are broadcasting live from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on CBS, and streaming live and on-demand on Paramount+.
