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Bad Bunny received a standing ovation at the 2026 Grammy Awards after he began his acceptance speech with powerful words aimed at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement amid rising violence.
The 31-year-old Puerto Rican musician, real name Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, took the stage on Sunday, February 2, to accept the Grammy Award for Best Music Urbana Album for DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS.
“Before I say thank God, I’m quitting ICE. We’re not savages, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens. We’re human beings, we’re Americans,” he began, to a standing ovation from the audience.
“And I just want to say to people, I know it’s hard not to be hateful these days. I thought I might get tainted sometimes. I don’t know how to say that in English,” the singer added. (“Contaminado” translates to “contaminated” in English.)
Bad Bunny urged people to change the way they respond to conflict, stressing that “the only thing more powerful than hate is love.”
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Read PEOPLE’s full coverage of the Grammys here.
“We have to be different. If we’re going to fight, we have to do it with love. We don’t hate them. We love people, we love families. That’s how you do it with love. Remember that. Please. Thank you. Thank you, God, and thank you for the Grammys,” he concluded.
The star’s comments came after she abandoned her Debi Tilal Mas Fotos World Tour’s U.S. visit due to the Trump administration’s use of ICE and other federal agencies to crack down on immigration.
Since President Donald Trump returned to power in January 2025, his administration has expanded immigration operations across the country, with ICE detention numbers expected to reach record levels by early 2026, sparking intense debate from lawmakers, civil rights groups and communities across the country.
The dispute has reached its peak in Minneapolis, where an aggressive federal operation called Operation Metro Surge has sent thousands of ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents into the city. Last month, several violent clashes between federal agents and local residents drew national attention. These include the shooting deaths of Renee Nicole Good, 37, by ICE agents on January 7th, and Alex Preti, 37, by U.S. Border Patrol agents on January 24th.
Both deaths sparked mass protests, a political backlash and calls for an independent investigation.
Meanwhile, Bad Bunny himself has found himself the target of backlash from President Trump, 79, and conservatives after announcing himself as the headliner for the upcoming Super Bowl LX halftime show on Sunday, February 8th. In a statement released after the announcement, Bad Bunny said the show was “for my people, my culture, and our history.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem previously said ICE agents would be “fully involved” in the Super Bowl, but Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin would not confirm that to the public.
“We’re not going to reveal future operations or talk about personnel. Super Bowl security requires a whole-of-government response that is consistent with the U.S. Constitution,” McLaughlin said on Jan. 29. “Those who are here legally and have not broken any other laws have nothing to fear.”
Bad Bunny was nominated for six Grammy Awards this year, and before the show, they also won the award for Best Global Music Performance for “EoO.”
The Grammy Awards will be broadcast live on CBS from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles or streamed live and on-demand on Paramount+.
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The latest special edition of PEOPLE, on newsstands now, covers his groundbreaking career from his early days to headlining the Super Bowl LX Halftime Show to making history at the Grammy Awards. This 96-page issue is currently on sale on Amazon. The Spanish print version is only available here.
