Romeo Santos used his time on stage at Premio Lo Nuestro 2026 in Miami on Thursday (Feb. 19) to reaffirm his support for “my Latino community” at large amid ongoing ICE aggressions in the U.S.
While Santos—who took home Tropical Artist of the Year and also performed at the ceremony—didn’t directly mention the agency in his speech, he did reiterate a stance he previously affirmed last year. Notably, his remarks at Thursday’s event are, in fact, quite similar to those he gave in December.
“I'm not always going to have the perfect speech,” Santos, whose comments were originally delivered in Spanish, said on Thursday. “Sometimes I’ll be asked questions where I might respond in ways that don’t meet your expectations, but my heart knows what it feels and those who know me know that I am always advocating for my Latino community.”
Santos continued: “I recently made the mistake of thinking that after a 28-year career, almost everyone knew my stance in favor of the immigrants of this country. Unfortunately, some didn't get the memo, so I will take advantage of this stage and I will say it firmly. There is no organization of any kind that, if it harms my Latino community, will have my respect. I want to make that clear.”
A number of artists have called out ICE directly, including, but not limited to, the following: Cardi B, Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong, SZA, Bad Bunny, and Kehlani.
Santos’ comments last year, as reported at the time, were shared in response to criticism he received for remarks he made during a then-recent Popcast interview.
"I could never turn my back to my community," Santos, who directly called out Donald Trump earlier in his career, later said amid the criticism.