Country music star Zach Bryan, known for his Grammy-winning work, has recently criticized Donald Trump’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) through the lyrics of a new song. On October 3, Bryan, who previously served in the US Navy, shared a short clip of his unreleased track with his followers on Instagram.
In the song, he sings: “I heard the cops came/ Cocky m*****s, ain’t they? And ICE is gonna come bust down your door / Try to build a house no one builds no more / But I got a telephone / Kids are all scared and all alone.” He continues with, “The middle finger’s rising, and it won’t stop showing / Got some bad news / The fading of the red, white and blue.”
Bryan captioned the voice note with a poignant line from the song: “The fading of the red, white and blue.”
This release coincides with increased ICE activity after Donald Trump began his second presidential term in January.
Despite his criticism of ICE, Bryan has been a staunch supporter of the armed forces, having served in the Navy for eight years. Born in Okinawa, Japan, where his parents were deployed, Bryan enlisted at 17 as a second class Aviation Ordnanceman. He completed tours in Bahrain and Djibouti before being honorably discharged in 2021 to pursue his music career.
Reflecting on his military service, Bryan mentioned in an Instagram post: “It made a man out of me, truly. If it was my decision, I would never get out of the world’s greatest Navy, but here I am, and they kindly honorably discharged me to go play some music.” He also expressed, “The best eight years of my life were spent serving the best country in the whole damn world.”
In 2023, Bryan’s mugshot gained attention when he was arrested by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol for obstruction in Vinita, Oklahoma. He later admitted in a social media video that he was ‘out of line’ and was released on bail.
Bryan is not alone in speaking out against increased ICE raids. Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny also took a stand by avoiding the US in his Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour, due to concerns about ICE presence at his shows. His tour includes 57 dates, starting in the Dominican Republic and concluding in Belgium by July 2026.
“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,” Bad Bunny stated in Variety, noting his American shows have been ‘magnificent.’ He encouraged American fans to visit Puerto Rico for his performances, highlighting concerns over ‘f**king ICE’ at his US concerts.
Despite this, Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, will perform in the US after being announced as the Super Bowl Half Time Show act in February, a decision that sparked backlash. During a hosting gig on Saturday Night Live on October 4, he humorously addressed critics, saying ‘everyone is happy about it – even Fox News.’ He expressed gratitude to Latinos and Latinas, emphasizing their permanent impact on the US.
In response, Trump advisor Corey Lewandowski stated that ICE agents would be present at the Super Bowl. “There is nowhere you can provide safe haven to people who are in this country illegally. Not the Super Bowl and nowhere else. We will find and deport you,” he commented. “I don’t care if it’s a concert for Johnny Smith or Bad Bunny or anybody else. We’re going to do enforcement everywhere.”