Super Bowl means touchdowns, halftime shows, and ad wars. But ahead of Super Bowl LX, the spotlight unexpectedly shifted to an off-field question: Will ICE be present or not? After days of speculation, the NFL has finally brought some clarity. Long story short: the ball will roll, but ICE won’t.
According to an Associated Press report, Department of Homeland Security official Jeff Brannigan held a series of private calls with local authorities and the NFL ahead of the Super Bowl. During those conversations, he said that ICE does not plan to carry out any law-enforcement actions during Super Bowl week or at the game itself. In other words, there will be bag checks at the stadium, not immigration checks.
This clarification comes against a backdrop of earlier, much tougher rhetoric. Back in October, DHS adviser Corey Lewandowski had said, “There is nowhere that you can provide safe haven to people who are in the country illegally, not the Super Bowl, not anywhere else,” Around the same time, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said immigration authorities would “be all over that place.” Those comments made it sound like the Super Bowl could turn into a federal enforcement showcase rather than a football spectacle.
Fast forward to now, and the tone has clearly shifted. While DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin refused this week to confirm whether federal immigration agents would be present, she tried to reassure the public, saying, “Those who are here legally and not breaking other laws have nothing to fear,” She added that DHS would not disclose future operations or personnel details and that Super Bowl security would follow the U.S. Constitution.
Local leadership is also keeping things calm. San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie expressed optimism despite the tense political climate. He said, “We are going to keep everybody safe – our residents, our visitors,” and emphasized that officials are monitoring the situation closely while expecting the event to be “safe and fun.”
The most decisive word, however, came directly from the NFL. The league’s Chief Security Officer Cathy L. Lanier made it clear during a security briefing that ICE would not be part of the federal presence at the game.
Chief Security Officer for the @NFL, Cathy L. Lanier says: "There's no planned ICE enforcement activities" during a press conference about public safety plans for #SBLX at the Super Bowl LX Media Center at Moscone Center in San Francisco, California.
— Getty Images Sport (@GettySport) February 3, 2026
More #GettySportVideo 🎥… pic.twitter.com/EiCMTd7s39
Super Bowl LX will kick off on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET on NBC. The field will be full of tackles, the stands full of cheers. And ICE? For this game, they’re staying on the bench.
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