There are no ICE or federal immigration enforcement operations planned for Super Bowl 60 or events around the big game, NFL leadership said during a Feb. 3 press conference.
Those plans were revealed at the annual NFL and law enforcement security briefing ahead of Super Bowl 60. The NFL’s chief security officer, Cathy Lanier, noted that the presence of federal public safety and law-enforcement officials is consistent with previous Super Bowls. In other words, it appears to be business as usual with federal officers supporting state and local agencies.
Lanier told reporters that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which is made up of more than 20 different departments, will send a variety of different agencies to the Super Bowl, but that does not include U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.
‘There is not ICE deployed with us at this Super Bowl and I don’t believe there has been in the last several, but most of the other departments from the Coast Guard to … many other agencies are here.’
When asked if immigration enforcement could show up unannounced, Lanier said that the league is confident in its partnership with Homeland Security. DHS agent Jeffrey Brannigan deferred to Lanier when asked to confirm that there would be no immigration enforcement associated with Super Bowl 60.
The presence of immigration enforcement agents is among the top points of discussion surrounding Super Bowl 60 in Santa Clara, California, especially given recent protests and violence stemming from the ongoing ICE operations in Minnesota.
The league noted that security planning has been ongoing for the last 18 months.