Will ICE show up at Super Bowl 2026? DHS shares details about enforcement operations

The DHS has opened up about ICE agents' role at Super Bowl 2026, stating, "Our mission remains unchanged."

Published on: Jan 27, 2026, 12:57:56 IST

By Sumanti Sen

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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has confirmed that ICE agents will conduct enforcement at Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara, California, on February 8. Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs for the DHS, told TMZ Sports, "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.”

Will ICE show up at Super Bowl 2026? DHS shares details (Photo by SCOTT OLSON / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP) (Getty Images via AFP)

She added, "Our mission remains unchanged."

ICE will be present around Levi’s Stadium before the game between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks. In October, DHS adviser Corey Lewandowski said that enforcement is a "directive from the president," and will not be paused for the Super Bowl. "There is nowhere you can provide safe haven to people who are in this country illegally," Lewandowski said on The Benny Show podcast. "Not the Super Bowl and nowhere else. We will find and deport you. That is a very real situation."

Government agencies have always helped local authorities maintain a safe environment for people attending the Super Bowl each year. "Super Bowl security will entail a whole of government response conducted in-line with the U.S. Constitution," McLaughlin said. "Those who are here legally and are not breaking other laws have nothing to fear."

NFL receives backlash

The NFL faced widespread criticism for choosing Bad Bunny as the Super Bowl Halftime performer. Conservative organization Turning Point USA even promised a different halftime show featuring English-speaking stars. In fact, President Donald Trump, who will skip this year’s Super Bowl, told the New York Post in an Oval Office interview that he cannot stand the performers selected for the halftime show.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell addressed the controversy in October 2025 during the annual Fall League Meeting. "It’s carefully thought through," Goodell said of the decision-making process for the halftime show. "I’m not sure we’ve ever selected an artist where we didn’t have some blowback or criticism. It’s pretty hard to do when you have literally hundreds of millions of people that are watching.”

"[Bad Bunny] is one of the leading and most popular entertainers in the world," the commissioner added. "That’s what we try to achieve. It’s an important stage for us. It’s an important element to the entertainment value."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sumanti Sen
Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More

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