The NFL is facing one of its weirder Super Bowl weeks in history with real-life political implications to hosts on NFL Honors not being able to properly pronounce names.
This all started months ago, when DHS adviser Corey Lewandowski went on Fox News to announce that ICE would be “all over the Super Bowl” to catch illegal immigrants working the event.
Days later, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem doubled down on the sentiment, saying Super Bowl LX would be a “high-visibility enforcement operation.”
The threats went viral across social media. People immediately interpreted it as ICE planning raids at the stadium or tailgates on game day. With the recent shootings and ICE scares in Minnesota, people were rightfully scared about what should be a fun time.
Bay Area politicians and immigrant advocacy groups eventually fought back long enough to where the NFL officially stated that ICE would not have any enforcement operations.
During the Feb. 3 security briefing, NFL Chief Security Officer Cathy Lanier said, “There are no planned ICE enforcement activities. We are confident of that.”
DHS official Jeff Brannigan told local officials and the NFL during private calls that ICE had no plans for activities during Super Bowl week or the game itself.
Federal presence (DHS and other agencies) is standard—focused on anti-trafficking, counterfeit goods, general safety, etc.—but explicitly excludes ICE for immigration enforcement this time. NFL emphasized DHS will send various agencies, but ICE is not among them—consistent with recent Super Bowls.
Some Bay Area residents, officials, and advocates remain wary. Santa Clara city council banned ICE from using city property as a precaution.
Bottom line: No ICE raids. No immigration enforcement. Just football. Super Bowl LX is officially clear to play.
First & Jenn 
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