U.S. Homeland Security responds to Zach Bryan's anti-ICE lyrics

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has responded to Zach Bryan following the release of a snippet from an unreleased track.

The song, titled ‘Bad News’ includes the lyrics: “And ICE is gonna come bust down your door / Try to build a house that no one builds no more.”
“I heard the cops came / Cocky motherfuckers ain’t they?”

The clip was posted on Instagram Friday, October 3, with the caption: “the fading of the red white and blue.”

 

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A post shared by Zach Bryan (@zachlanebryan)

On October 7, DHS assistant secretary for public affairs Tricia McLaughlin responded in a statement to TMZ, saying Bryan should “stick to ‘Pink Skies’”, referencing a track from his 2024 album The Great American Bar Scene.

Bryan responded to the backlash in a statement on Instagram: "I wrote this song months ago. I posted this song three months ago as a snippet," he said. "This song is about how much I love this country and everyone in it more than anything.

"I served this country, I love this country and the song itself is about all of us coming out of this divided space. Left wing or right wing we’re all one bird and American. To be clear I’m on neither of these radical sides. To all those disappointed in me on either side of whatever you believe in just know I’m trying my best too and we all say things that are misconstrued sometimes." he continued.

Most recently, Bryan posted a short poem on Instagram that touches on themes of consumerism, government, existential reflection, and resistance. The post does not reference the song snippet or DHS directly, but includes lines such as: “Love the quick profit, the annual raise, vacation with pay… / When they want you to buy something they will call you. / When they want you to die for profit they will let you know."

The DHS has confirmed it will have a presence at Super Bowl LX in 2026, following the announcement that Bad Bunny will headline the halftime show.

Bad Bunny reportedly left the U.S. out of his tour over fears that ICE raids could affect his audience, citing concerns that “ICE could be outside [my concert].” Following the Super Bowl halftime show news, Bad Bunny posted a message asserting the performance was about heritage, culture, and giving voice to marginalised communities.