Bay Area prepares as ICE confirms enforcement operations during Super Bowl LX
Bay Area braces for ICE agents at Super Bowl LX
The Department of Homeland Security has confirmed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents will conduct immigration enforcement operations during Super Bowl LX, now just over a week away in Santa Clara.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The Department of Homeland Security has confirmed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents will conduct immigration enforcement operations during Super Bowl LX, now just over a week away in Santa Clara.
The confirmation comes amid heightened concern following recent ICE-involved shootings in Minnesota, a development that has struck a nerve across the Bay Area. Many residents and advocacy groups say they do not want ICE operating in their communities, especially during a high-profile international event.
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Community concerns ahead of major events
What we know:
Community groups and civic leaders say they are already preparing for the possibility that attending the Super Bowl at Levi’s Stadium, or events tied to the game, could lead to encounters with ICE agents.
On Tuesday, those concerns became more concrete after Fox News confirmed DHS plans to conduct immigration enforcement operations during the Super Bowl.
"We have heard from the administration that they intend to have ICE at the Super Bowl. I don’t know how much of that is rhetoric," said San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan.
San Francisco focuses on safety ahead of Super Bowl LX events across Bay Area
While Super Bowl LX will be played in Santa Clara, many of the surrounding events will take place in San Francisco, where city officials said their focus is on ensuring public safety in the lead-up to the game.
Advocacy groups prepare
What they're saying:
Immigrant rights organizations, including SIREN, say uncertainty surrounding federal enforcement has forced communities to remain on alert.
"There are so many agents flying all over the country, we don’t know when something can happen," said Huy Tran, executive director of SIREN. "We have the president changing his mind any time he feels like it. Things happen on a whim. That’s why we have to be ready so we don’t have to get ready."
Groups like SIREN are advising community members to document ICE activity and report encounters through established rapid response networks.
The Rapid Response Network said in a statement Tuesday that it is increasing preparedness ahead of Super Bowl Sunday, adding, "Our team strengthens its preparedness to address community concerns...We want people to know they are not alone."
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Homeland Security officials say immigration enforcement plans remain unchanged despite the Super Bowl being hosted in Santa Clara.
Meanwhile, officials from multiple Bay Area municipalities have reiterated they will not cooperate with ICE enforcement efforts.
"We don’t control what immigration agents do," said Carolyn Gonot, general manager of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority. "What we can do is prepare, understand how we’re going to respond, and train for that response."
Mayor Mahan echoed that sentiment, emphasizing local priorities.
"We have our own public safety priorities locally, in terms of dealing with violent crime and property crime, the things our police officers are charged with doing," he said.
Countdown to kickoff
What's next:
With the game less than two weeks away and recent ICE-related shootings still fresh in many minds, activists say proactive organizing ahead of Super Bowl weekend could help ease tensions once kickoff arrives.
The Source: This story was written based on information from community advocacy groups, local leaders and previous reporting.