Bad Bunny is gearing up to launch his Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour in November, but fans in the U.S. won’t see him on stage—something he says is directly tied to concerns over ICE raids.
In a new interview with i-D Magazine, the Puerto Rican superstar explained why the U.S. is missing from the 57-date trek. When asked if his decision was linked to the surge of deportations, he said, “There were many reasons why I didn’t show up in the U.S., and none of them were out of hate. I’ve performed there many times. All of [the shows] have been successful.”
Currently wrapping his 30-date No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí residency in San Juan, Bad Bunny said he treasures connecting with Latino fans—but acknowledged the risks many face.
“I’ve enjoyed connecting with Latinos who have been living in the U.S.,” he said. “But specifically, for a residency here in Puerto Rico, when we are an incorporated territory of the U.S. … People from the U.S. 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. 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.”
Back in June, Bunny told Variety it would be “unnecessary” to tour the U.S. in support of his sixth studio album. He’s also made his stance on ICE clear, previously sharing a video of what appeared to be an ICE raid in Puerto Rico, blasting the agency: “Those motherfuckers are in these cars, RAV-4s. They’re here in [Avenida] Pontezuela. They came here … sons of bitches, instead of leaving people alone and working.”
According to The Guardian, more than 197,000 deportations have taken place from January 28 through August 25, with the number of ICE detainees without a criminal record nearly matching those with one.
