ICE to conduct Super Bowl LX enforcement operations under Trump directive
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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed that ICE agents will conduct inspections at Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara, California, on February 8.
Tricia McLaughlin Yoho, DHS Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs He told TMZ Sports: “DHS is committed to working with our local and federal partners to ensure that the Super Bowl, like every major sporting event, including the World Cup, is safe for everyone attending.
“Our mission remains unchanged.”
Thus, ICE will have a visible presence around Levi’s Stadium following Sunday’s contest ahead of the game between the New England Patriots and their respective conference winners, the Seattle Seahawks.
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Gregory Bovino, El Centro Sector lead patrol agent and commander of Operation Major CA, walks with federal agents toward the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building in Los Angeles on Aug. 14, 2025. (Carlin Stiehl/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
DHS consultant Corey Lewandowski said in October that enforcement was “an order from the president” and would not be paused for the Super Bowl.
“There is no place where you can provide safe haven for people who are in this country illegally,” Lewandowski said. “The Benny Show” podcast. “Not the Super Bowl, not anywhere else. We’re going to find you and deport you. This is a very real situation.”
President Donald Trump’s directive comes after he recently said he would boycott the Super Bowl and criticized the selection of Bad Bunny and now Green Day during the halftime show.
TRUMP WILL SKIP SUPER BOWS IN CALIFORNIA, CRITICIZES PLAYERS BAD BUNNY AND GREEN DAY
Last year, Trump attended a game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs in New Orleans, Louisiana.
“It’s too far away,” Trump said New York Post. “I would, I would [gotten] great hands [at] Super Bowl. They like me.
“If it was a little shorter I’d go.”
Trump has publicly criticized Bad Bunny since his election, telling Newsmax, “I don’t know who he is,” despite his huge popularity around the world.
Bad Bunny won best urban music album for “Un Verano Sin Ti”. (Robert Hanashiro / USA TODAY NETWORK)
“I don’t know why they’re doing this. Then they blame some of the promoters they hired for the entertainment. I think it’s absolutely ridiculous.”
Green Day was selected to play at Levi’s Stadium before kickoff last week. Both Bad Bunny and Green Day have expressed their dislike of Trump.
Grammy-winning Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny, whose birth name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, has faced criticism from Trump and his supporters for his public comments about the president and his administration. The 31-year-old actress, who has won three Grammys, expressed concerns about ICE, so she decided to do a residency in her native Puerto Rico to avoid stops in the United States.
“But there was the problem of ICE being out there. [my concert]. This is something we have talked about and are very concerned about,” he told i-D.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell addressed the controversy surrounding Bad Bunny’s selection during the annual Fall League Meeting in October 2025.
U.S. President Donald Trump takes the field before Super Bowl LIX between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles at Caesars Superdome on February 9, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
“It was carefully considered,” Goodell said of the decision-making process for the halftime show. “I’m not sure we’ve cast an artist without getting backlash or criticism. It’s pretty hard to do that when there are literally hundreds of millions of people watching.”
“[Bad Bunny] “The commissioner is one of the world’s leading and most popular artists,” he said. “That’s what we’re trying to achieve. It is an important stage for us. “It’s an important element in terms of entertainment value.”
The Super Bowl usually requires a strong logistical plan for law enforcement; Here, government agencies help local authorities provide a safe environment for the thousands of people who gather in the host city.
A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent waits for a group of undocumented men, not pictured, to be deported to Mexico at the U.S.-Mexico border in San Diego, California, U.S., on Thursday, February 26, 2015. (David Maung/Bloomberg)
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“Super Bowl security will require a range of government responses conducted in accordance with the U.S. Constitution,” McLaughlin Yoho added.
“Those who are here legally and are not violating other laws have nothing to fear.”
Fox News’ Brie Stimson contributed to this report.
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