The Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement will take part in enforcement operations tied to Super Bowl LX in the San Francisco Bay Area, with the agency saying law-abiding fans who are in the country legally have "nothing to fear" despite heightened scrutiny after two fatal shootings involving federal immigration agents in Minneapolis.
In a statement to TMZ Sports, DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs 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. Our mission remains unchanged."
McLaughlin added: "We will not disclose future operations or discuss personnel. Super Bowl security will entail a whole of government response conducted in line with the U.S. Constitution."
"Those who are here legally and are not breaking other laws have nothing to fear."
The statement followed comments last fall by Corey Lewandowski, DHS adviser, who said on Benny Johnson's "The Benny Show" that immigration enforcement would not exempt major events.
"There is nowhere that you can provide safe haven to people who are in this country illegally. Not the Super Bowl and nowhere else. We will find you," Lewandowski said in an excerpt aired by CNN.
Super Bowl LX is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, with Bad Bunny listed by the league as the halftime performer.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell defended the halftime selection in October, saying, "It's carefully thought through," while acknowledging that the league often faces criticism over entertainment choices.
Conversely, Turning Point USA, a conservative advocacy group, has promoted an online "All American Halftime Show" that it says will run during the Super Bowl halftime window, with the group billing it as a celebration of "faith, family, & freedom" and saying it will air on TPUSA social media channels and "The Charlie Kirk Show."
Turning Point has not publicly announced performers or full programming details.
President Donald Trump will not attend the game, telling the New York Post the trip is "just too far away," and adding he would go if it were "a little bit shorter."
The DHS comments on Super Bowl operations come amid continuing investigations into the fatal shooting of Renee Good, 37, by an ICE agent in Minneapolis on Jan. 7 and the death of Alex Jeffrey Pretti, 37, who was shot and killed by a U.S. Border Patrol officer in Minneapolis on Jan. 24.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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