Bad Bunny excludes US from tour over fears of ICE raids at concerts

Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny has said he's left the US out of his upcoming tour over fears of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids happening at his concerts.

His decision comes amid the increase of ICE arrests and deportations in the US. On Monday, September 8, the Supreme Court granted federal agents the power to stop people in Los Angeles simply for speaking Spanish or appearing Latino – a move that immigration advocates said has “effectively legalised racial profiling”.

The rapper rose to prominence in 2016 with his song 'Soy Peor'. He continued gaining traction with songs such as his feature on Cardi B's 'I Like It' alongside J Balvin. Bad Bunny's debut studio album, X 100pre (2018), peaked at No.10 on the US Billboard 200, while his collaborative album with J Balvin, Oasis (2019), reached number nine.

Since Donald Trump was re-elected, ICE raids have surged across the US. The agency now aims for 3,000 minimum arrests a day.

In an interview with i-D magazine on Wednesday, the musician was asked whether he was skipping the US “out of concern about the mass deportations of Latinos”

“Man, honestly, yes,” the rapper said "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 Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour, sees the musician play multiple dates across South America, Europe and Australia at the end of the year and into the new year.

Bad Bunny has been vocally critical of ICE on Instagram, posting a story in June in which he referred to the agents as “sons of bitches” who "can’t seem to leave people alone".