The United States is facing growing scrutiny as high-profile cases highlight the real-world consequences of its immigration policies, with implications for both cultural engagement and foreign investment. Latin music superstar Bad Bunny said he deliberately excluded U.S. stops from his latest tour to protect Latino fans from potential detention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
In an interview with i-D, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, known as Bad Bunny, explained that one of the main reasons behind leaving the U.S. off his "Debi Tirar Mas Fotos World Tour" was to prevent fans from being picked up by ICE.
"But there was the issue of like, f***ing ICE could be outside [my concert]. And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about," he told the outlet, pointing to concerns over President Donald Trump’s second-term deportation agenda.
The remaining tour stops are in Europe, Australia, and South America, with Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, being the only domestic exception. Bad Bunny encouraged U.S.-based fans to travel to Puerto Rico or other countries to see his performances.
"People from the U.S. could come here to see the show," he said. "Latinos and Puerto Ricans of the United States could also travel here, or to any part of the world."
While the artist has performed successfully in the U.S. many times, he stressed that none of his decisions were rooted in hate. "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. All of them have been magnificent," he said, adding, "I’ve enjoyed connecting with Latinos who have been living in the U.S."
Bad Bunny has long been vocal about ICE operations. In June, he posted videos of what he described as local raids on social media. "Look, those motherf****s are in these cars, RAV-4s. They’re here in Pontezuela," he said in Spanish, referring to Avenida Pontezuela in Carolina, east of San Juan. "Sons of b****, instead of leaving the people alone and working there," he added.
The same week, hundreds of South Korean workers were released after being caught up in an immigration crackdown at a Hyundai-LG battery factory in Georgia. The detentions, which affected 475 workers, delayed construction and prompted South Korea to question the reliability of U.S. business operations.
"The beds and shower facilities were in such poor condition that daily life was unbearable. The food was so bad, I could barely finish a single meal," an engineer told The Korea Economic Broadcasting, detailing conditions in U.S. detention.
Officials and families at Incheon Airport welcomed the returning workers with applause and tears. "The return of the workers was unexpectedly delayed by a day," South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said. He described the incident as deeply painful and revealed that both governments agreed to form a working group to establish a new visa category for future South Korean investments.
Unions in South Korea also condemned the U.S. actions. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions called for an apology from the Trump administration and for Seoul to reconsider U.S. investments. "The Trump administration's excessive mass arrests and detentions were a clear violation of human rights," it said.
Executives at Hyundai and LG said construction schedules would be impacted, with work expected to be delayed by months due to labor shortages. Despite the challenges, LG said it remained committed to its U.S. projects, working to minimize any business impact from the incident.
Experts note that these cases underline a larger concern for the U.S.: the perception that racialized enforcement policies and unpredictable immigration actions may discourage cultural events and foreign investment. For musicians like Bad Bunny and corporations with international operations, the message is clear, the risks associated with U.S. immigration policy are influencing decisions and eroding confidence in the American market.