Super Bowl security under spotlight as immigration concerns surface

January 31, 2026 Oliver Obel

As tens of thousands of fans prepare to travel to Northern California for the Super Bowl, federal security planning has attracted unusual public scrutiny, driven by anxiety over immigration enforcement in the lead-up to the game.

The February 8 matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara will involve extensive coordination among federal, state, and local agencies a standard feature of events of this scale. This year, however, the expected presence of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has sharpened political tensions around what is typically a tightly choreographed security operation.

Reassurances from federal officials

Administration officials have moved to calm concerns as speculation has spread online and among advocacy groups. “Those who are here legally and are not breaking other laws have nothing to fear,” one official said earlier this week, framing ICE’s role as consistent with broader immigration policy.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem underscored the size of the federal footprint surrounding the event, saying: “We’ll be all over that place.” While federal agencies routinely assist with Super Bowl security, ICE’s involvement has drawn closer attention because of its enforcement authority.

Authorities have not publicly detailed the scope of ICE’s activity beyond general security support, leaving questions about how visible the agency will be outside official NFL venues.

What ICE plans and does not plan to do

TMZ reported that ICE does not intend to carry out immigration enforcement operations inside Levi’s Stadium or at NFL-sponsored events in the days leading up to Super Bowl Sunday. According to the outlet, federal security plans remain unchanged despite unrest in other parts of the country in recent weeks.

The Department of Homeland Security confirmed to TMZ that its approach mirrors past major sporting events. Assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin said: “DHS is committed to working with our local and federal partners to ensure the Super Bowl is safe for everyone involved, as we do with every major sporting event, including the World Cup.”

She added that security operations would be conducted “in line with the US Constitution,” and has previously defended ICE’s work as focused on what she described as “680 criminal illegal aliens.”

Heightened sensitivity around enforcement

The attention comes at a time when ICE is facing renewed criticism following recent fatal encounters involving Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti. Those cases have intensified scrutiny of the agency’s tactics and accountability, fueling broader debate over immigration enforcement and civil liberties.

While DHS has not linked Super Bowl security planning to those incidents, their timing has contributed to heightened public unease about ICE’s presence in high-profile public spaces.

Politics, music, and the Super Bowl stage

President Donald Trump has said he will not attend the Super Bowl, citing the distance from Washington, but has remained outspoken about the event. He has criticised the NFL’s decision to select Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny as the halftime performer.

Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, has previously cited concerns about ICE when explaining why he avoided mainland US tour dates. “People from the US could come here to see the show. Latinos and Puerto Ricans of the United States could also travel here, or to any part of the world,” he told i-D magazine, according to the Daily Mail.

“But there was the issue that … ICE could be outside (my concert venue). And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about,” he said.

Trump ally Corey Lewandowski criticised the selection, calling it “shameful” and accusing the artist of “seem[ing] to hate America.”

A familiar operation, under sharper scrutiny

Federal officials stress that large-scale, multi-agency security operations are routine for the Super Bowl. This year, however, the intersection of immigration policy, recent controversies, and a global spotlight has turned standard planning into a broader test of public trust one that extends beyond crowd control and into the politics of enforcement itself.

Sources: TMZ, Daily Mail