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Grupo Frontera gets that people want to ask them about the U.S.-Mexico border: look at their name and look at the current political climate. They mostly just don’t want to talk about that.
But behind the line of questioning have been the rumors swirling online that the Grupo Frontera members and those related to its members voted for and supported President Trump in the 2024 presidential election. The speculation has forced the “Tulum” performers to deny any affiliations with any political parties several times over.
So ahead of the Norte?o band’s upcoming gig at SXSW on March 14, here’s a refresher of turbulent 2025 online discourse the Texas artists have found themselves at the center of.
In an interview with Billboard published Tuesday, the group was asked whether or not its felt the effects of the political moment.
“I mean, our group name, Grupo Frontera, I think it feels natural for people to be like, ‘You’re from the border,’ stuff like that,” drummer Carlos Guerrero said in section of the interview that was notably conducted in December. “We always try to keep that private.” Percussionist Julian Pe?a Jr. added the group aims to “talk about music, that’s it.”
But this was far from the first time the “No Se Va” singers have been asked about or been placed in a situation where they’ve been forced to talk about the U.S. political situation. It does, however, follow a pattern of nondescript answers that the group’s members have previously been provided.
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In a now-deleted TikTok video that circulated earlier this year, Grupo Frontera was shown dancing to the Village People’s mega hit “Y.M.C.A.” This concerned fans of the band online because of the song’s heavy association with Donald Trump rallies, which the politician has used at his events since at least 2020.
Around the time that the “Y.M.C.A.” video circulated, Grupo Frontera was announced as the headliners at the Sue?os music festival in Chicago. Soon after the announcement, a Change.org petition was started that called for the band to be removed from the festival lineup and has collected over 10,400 signatures.
The Chicago man who started the online campaign said he paid over $800 and wanted a refund due to what he believed was the band’s shift in ideology, according to the Chicago-Sun Times. The man admitted that the video of the group dancing to “Y.M.C.A” did not mention Trump or express any overt political views, but he noted that the timing of the post felt significant to him.
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Following the circulation of the video, the group’s social media posts became filled with comments such as: “You guys should start singing in English,” “In Mexico we don’t forgive,” and “Let’s stop supporting a group that is anti-Mexican.”
The hitmakers seemingly responded to the online backlash they were receiving in a social media post.
“We want to clarify that Grupo Frontera has NO affiliation not alliance with any political party that’s against immigrants and the Latino community,” the group wrote in a Feb. 7 Instagram story. “Like many of you, our families and [group] members have fought and struggled for a better future, and we will always take our people’s side, defending our roots and values.”
The band continued, “It’s important you know that the opinions of our friends and family don’t represent Grupo Frontera. We are immigrants, we are from the border, and Grupo Frontera will always be by and for the people.”
(Trump was not mentioned in the band’s statement.)
A few weeks later while on the red carpet at the Premios Lo Nuestro on Feb. 20, TV presenter Raul De Molina asked Grupo Frontera, “You guys are named ‘border,’ what do you think about the what is happening at the border between the U.S. and Mexico?”
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“We dedicate ourselves to music. We love everyone and want peace and love. Take care of yourselves,” Pe?a Jr. responded.
Social media personality and immigrant rights activist Carlos Eduardo Espina, who touts 12.3 million TikTok followers, was among the many people upset online and responded to the clip of the red carpet moment with a loud condemnation of Pe?a Jr.’s comments.
“For me, this was one of the worst responses that I have ever seen to a question in my whole life,” Espina said in a Feb. 21 TikTok video. “Just like the saying goes, there are times when not saying anything says a lot. ... what an embarrassment.”
Following that round of online criticism Grupo Frontera decided to address the situation head-on in a Feb. 22 Instagram video post.
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“We are migrants, our parents are migrants. And we want to tell you directly that we don’t support any political party that is against migrants,” Pe?a Jr. began the video. “With that said, there have been many things said about us that are not true.”
The band’s bajo quinto player Alberto Acosta then addressed the “false news” that had been circulated online about the “un x100to” artists. “We are doing this [video] because people are putting us against our raza,” Acosta said.
“For example the ‘Y.M.C.A’ dance, we had a routine before shows during our last tour where we’d dance a huapango or another song,” band accordionist Juan Javier Cantú said. “We’ve danced to that song since primary school and it had nothing to do with any political party at that point.”
Lead singer Adelaido “Payo” Solís proceeded to talk about a TikTok video showing his grandmother dancing to “Y.M.C.A.” in apparent support for Trump. (Trump was not mentioned by name at any point in the video.)
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“I want to tell you all that the only opinions that count from Grupo Frontera are those that come from the group itself,” Solís said. “Any person that’s not one of the six members of Grupo Frontera can’t have an opinion on our behalf, nor speak for us, nor express our emotions.”
Pe?a Jr. slammed home the group’s intents with his closing statements.
“We are migrants. We’re for migrants. We always have been,” he concluded. “You guys know what we’ve done and have supported our raza in the U.S. and Mexico and wherever we are. That’s what this group represents, not what’s been said about us.”
The Times has reached out to Grupo Frontera’s representatives for comment.
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