Border Protection to fly over Levi's Stadium during Super Bowl: KTVU exclusive

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Federal, state and local law enforcement agencies all team up to handle safety and security at Super Bowl games every year.

This year, a fear of federal agents is leading to fear and skepticism about the role of national agencies.

KTVU was invited as the only local news crew to ride along with U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Air and Marine Operations Unit, one of many wings of the Department of Homeland Security.

The unit's job is to fly over Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, as Super Bowl LX is considered a "SEAR-1" level event. 

That means federal agencies work with local police departments to deliver one of the highest levels of security.

SEAR-1 is only second to a National Special Security Event, which is often used for a presidential inauguration.

"Our job is to safeguard the homeland," said the co-pilot of a Customs and Border Patrol helicopter.

The controversy:

The federal defense specialists know some people don't want them in the Bay Area — that's after the deadly shooting of U.S. citizens at the hands of federal agents in Minneapolis.

Many voiced their concerns to Santa Clara's city council the week leading up to Super Bowl Sunday.

"Our patients, communities and many of us in this room do not trust federal agencies," said Carmen Martinez, a resident of Santa Clara.

Several dozen other residents joined her in trying to convince city council to pass a policy that would bar federal agents from using state property as home bases during surge operations. Ultimately, the council adopted the policy.

That disapproval, according to CBP, has led to many of their employees receiving threats — even though they're not involved with immigration enforcement.

The other side:

It was enough to prevent the pilots from revealing their identities to KTVU, citing safety concerns.

"We're doing our job," said the aircraft co-pilot, who didn't want to be identified by name. "I don't mind talking to you guys about our job and what we're doing out here, but I don't want to put that risk out to my team out here. People think we're involved in other things that we're out here for, which we're not."

How does the Border Patrol convince the public that their job is to keep the fans in the stadium safe? 

"No matter what we do, people are going to hold their views for what they believe to be true," responded the co-pilot. "The only thing that we can do, is do our job."

So what is their job?

These pilots say they are not ICE, or Immigration and Customs Enforcement, so their job is not immigration enforcement.

Instead, they're making sure a massive emergency doesn't happen at a site that will bring in thousands of people from around the world.

Helicopters and Blackhawks intercept an aerial threat, while also helping give an "eyes in the sky" perspective for any activity on the ground. 

That's where local police come in — from Santa Clara to San Francisco.

Local officers handle traffic, on-scene emergencies and follow policies not to engage in immigration enforcement.

NFL's security chief, Cathy Lanier, addressed that during a public news conference from San Francisco's Moscone Center.

"There are no known planned ICE or immigration enforcement operations around the Super Bowl or Super Bowl related events."

Just like CBP air units, there will be other federal agencies supporting local security efforts.

The mayor of Santa Clara, Lisa Gillmor, says that is nothing to worry about.

"The federal presence you will see at Super Bowl 60 is the same presence we had at 50, and they've had at Super Bowls throughout the country," she told KTVU. "It's going to be nothing more than that."

For the federal employees tasked with keeping Americans safe, they say that's what they'll do, regardless of whether they're welcomed.

"We just gotta keep doing our job."