When Victor Villa arrived back at his taqueria in Los Angeles—just 24 hours after appearing alongside Bad Bunny in the Super Bowl halftime show—confetti streamers filled the air as his parents embraced him.  The owner of Villa’s Tacos was among the revelers featured by rapper Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio (aka Bad Bunny) during his iconic performance highlighting the deep, colorful Latino culture that has long existed across the Americas. And the message couldn’t have come at a more crucial time for the U.S.  In the past year, Latin Americans and Latino immigrants have become targets of the Trump administration’s cruel mass deportation plan.  “I pray for [the immigrants]. And more than anything, I pray for discernment for ICE agents, that they can open their hearts,” Villa told Daily Kos.   x x YouTube Video When Bad Bunny turned towards the camera on Feb. 8, he was surrounded by a makeshift Puerto Rican sugar cane field. Various other scenes familiar to Latin Americans played out across the performance. All of them aimed to bolster a sense of pride for people and cultures currently under attack by the Trump administration.  “The lady on the corner selling flowers isn't the problem,” Villa said, explaining that the countless arrests happening likely aren’t targeting the hardened criminals the Trump administration claims to be going after.  Related | All the Easter eggs in Bad Bunny’s halftime show While other nationalities have been impacted by Trump’s chaotic deportation crusade, ICE data shows that people from Central and South American countries in particular have had the highest number of arrests. Latinos across the U.S. have been in a state of terror and shock by the federal government’s aggressive approach. Doors remain locked, school graduations have been missed, people aren’t going to work—all out of fear that they or someone they love will be snatched and disappear in Trump’s callous deportation system.  And their fears are increasingly shown to be justified. In the past year, ICE detention facilities saw the highest number of deaths in over 20 years. Meanwhile, men accused of being gang members have been sent to a notorious prison in El Salvador, despite no due process and many not even being from that country.  Many others have been deported to countries other than their homelands, as well.  Leading up to the Super Bowl, headlines swirled with threats of ICE’s presence outside of the Bay Area stadium. And MAGA supporters seethed over the concept of a halftime show by the Puerto Rican artist, who isn’t bringing his new world tour to the U.S. over fears that his shows will be targeted by immigration authorities. But at the Super Bowl, that fear was set aside for at least 13 joyful minutes. Villa, standing behind a mobile grill for his Michelin-recognized tacos, was among the many celebrating that day—both on the field and at home watching the show on TV. Another featured guest during Bad Bunny’s performance also made the magical moment memorable with a legitimate proposal.  x x YouTube Video Daily Kos also spoke with Victor Dimaren, who got on one knee during the performance. He confirmed via text that the proposal to his now-fiancée, Emma Eldridge, was real. Still, after the dust settled and Villa returned to Los Angeles, the business owner’s whirlwind moment of celebration came juxtaposed with the reality of why Bad Bunny closed his performance by saying, “Mi patria, Puerto Rico, seguimos aquí (My country, Puerto Rico, we’re still here).” Latinos, including Puerto Ricans—who are definitely American citizens no matter how many times Republicans forget it—are facing cultural erasure in the U.S.  Related | MAGA freaks out as millions of normal people enjoy Bad Bunny But Villa, after handing out beers to the excited patrons standing in a long line waiting to try his tacos after his Super Bowl cameo, told Daily Kos that he has nothing but pride.  “I started this business, my parents were immigrants and I'm a byproduct of those immigrants,” he said.  “We look at everybody as just people, they deserve to be loved. They deserve to be appreciated. They deserve to be treated with respect.” Read more