As the Bay Area prepares for Super Bowl weekend, the Santa Clara City Council has approved a new ordinance banning federal authorities from using city property for immigration enforcement. This was done to allay residents’ fears after an announcement made by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem and adviser Corey Lewandowski in the fall of 2025.
DHS announced that agents would conduct immigration operations during the nation’s largest sporting event. According to the Guardian report, when DHS works the Super Bowl, they’re usually focused on preventing human trafficking and the sale of counterfeit goods. So, this announcement is unusual and terrifying for the local community.
Mayor Lisa Gillmor noted that nearly half of the city’s residents were born outside the US. She shared that after ICE arrests that seemed racially motivated, people were afraid of being targeted just for having brown skin. Gillmor noted that residents feared they should leave the city entirely if it was going to be inundated with ICE agents.
That is a horrible position to be in
Luckily, some major players stepped in to calm the waters. Thanks to their frequent partnerships with DHS, the NFL Chief Security Officer, confidently stated that there were “no planned ICE enforcement activities.” California Governor Gavin Newsom also confirmed on Thursday that his office had been “assured there will be no immigration enforcement tied to the game.” 22 members of Congress also sent a letter to Noem demanding that DHS not deploy agents to prevent fear at a moment of ‘celebration, unity, and economic opportunity.
Even with those assurances, local officials aren’t taking any chances, considering the aggressive mass deportation agenda implemented by the Trump administration. Otto Lee, president of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, noted that while the NFL’s announcement helps alleviate some fear, they still need to “prepare for the worst,” since hosting the Super Bowl and six World Cup games will already be demanding.
Lee made it clear that local law enforcement won’t tolerate behaviour that endangers the community, stating that local authorities would arrest anyone who “comes into our county masked, spreading terror, breaking laws or threatening our residents.” Santa Clara County also has a rapid response network designed to track ICE activity and provide verified information to residents.
Gillmor is hopeful the NFL’s promise holds and suspects they will not want to disrupt the day for wealthy ticket holders. Speaking of the residents, she said, “I’m trying to calm the waters here to let them know that we have their back in Santa Clara,” she said. “In the event [ICE] did come, we’re going to uphold the law no matter what, but they’re not going to get any assistance from us.” However, Gillmor knows the core issue will not stop with the game.
Although it does look like Trump will be skipping the Super Bowl.
Published: Feb 9, 2026 08:12 am