Gloria Estefan reveals She Carries Passport Due to Concerns Over Immigration Policies
Cuban-American music icon Gloria Estefan says she now routinely carries her passport card, a precaution stemming from anxieties about current U.S.immigration enforcement. The singer, a U.S.citizen for over five decades, shared the practice in a recent interview with The Times, citing fears fueled by evolving interpretations of immigration law and a past understanding of political repression.
Estefan explained, “I carry my passport card around just in case, because who knows what can happen.” She connected her concern to her upbringing in Cuba,noting,”This is the way things happened there.” her apprehension is heightened by a recent U.S. Supreme Court order-issued in September-that temporarily reinstated a policy allowing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Los Angeles to consider factors like race or language when establishing “reasonable suspicion” of illegal status, as defined by the Immigration and Nationality Act.
The singer highlighted the potential for everyday interactions to become fraught with risk, stating, ”It’s tough. When we’re out with the family, it’s very natural to speak Spanish. It’s weird that, all of a sudden, you’d have to fear that.”
Estefan’s revelation arrives amid broader discussions within the music industry regarding ICE enforcement. Bad Bunny, selected as the 2026 Super Bowl Halftime performer, previously stated he declined U.S. tour dates earlier this year due to concerns about potential ICE raids. The artist, a U.S. citizen by birth, faced backlash from supporters of former President Trump following his Super Bowl announcement, with the Trump governance confirming ICE would maintain a presence at the event.
