Even with the presence of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) as a “security” body and without detention operations, Super Bowl LX ended up becoming a field of symbolic dispute about migration, border control and public transparency. In an edition marked by the halftime show headlined by Bad Bunny, Donald Trump spoke remotely while activists and victims of abuse sought to take advantage of the visibility of the event to amplify their complaints.
While the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks were playing in the championship at Levi’s Stadium, the president declared on NBC News that his government maintains “a strong border” and that it is “totally focused on criminals, really bad criminals.” He added that “25 million people” would have entered illegally during the Biden administration and that “11,888 murderers” would have crossed the border in that period; figures that independent verifications denied.
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Outside the stadium, the political tension was clearly evident. Hundreds of activists staged a coordinated protest against ICE, distributing between 15,000 and 25,000 towels with the phrase “ICE OUT,” as part of the “Flags in the stands” campaign. The pieces—designed by an artist of Latin origin—complemented urban interventions in San Francisco, where posters of the “concho toad,” a symbol associated with Bad Bunny, appeared, accompanied by messages addressed to the agency.
The contrast between the festive atmosphere of halftime – led by Bad Bunny and reinforced by Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin – and the protests outside deepened the political reading of the meeting. During the show, the singer presented a Grammy to a minor, a gesture interpreted as a symbolic dedication to Liam Ramos, a five-year-old boy whose detention by ICE went viral weeks before.
From his social network, Trump described the Puerto Rican artist’s show as “one of the worst in history,” assured that “no one understands a word” when he sings in Spanish, and called part of the choreography “disgusting,” especially for minors.
He claimed that the show lacked “excellence” and described it as a “slap” to the country.
The president did not attend the game and limited his participation to online messages, unlike Democrats Barack Obama and Gavin Newsom, who did attend.
Reports indicate that Vice President JD Vance was also not present, due to a work tour in Milan related to the Winter Olympics.
The day also included a message from the World Without Exploitation organization, which broadcast an advertisement featuring survivors of the Epstein case on social networks, demanding the release of more files, prior to Ghislaine Maxwell’s testimony. Although it was not broadcast during the game due to its cost, its publication was calculated to coincide with the global reach.
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