NFL Says No ICE Operations On Super Bowl Sunday Or At Related Events

SAN FRANCISCO – United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will not be operating at or around the Super Bowl, NFL chief security officer Cathy Lanier said Tuesday. And in that regard, it seems Bad Bunny has notched a big win before the game even kicks off.

"There are no planned ICE or immigration enforcement operations that are scheduled around the Super Bowl or the Super Bowl related events," Lanier said.

She added that security around the Bay Area — including in San Francisco, San Jose, and Santa Clara, which is the game's site — is operating as in past Super Bowls, and ICE was not involved in "the last several" Super Bowls.

"Yes, there is no planned ICE enforcement activities," Lanier repeated. "We are confident of that."

Cathy L. Lanier, Chief Security Officer, NFL. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

DHS Previously Promised ICE At Super Bowl

This runs counter to what DHS Senior Government Employee Corey Lewandowski, a key adviser to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, said in October about ICE agents at the Super Bowl. 

"There is nowhere that you can provide safe haven to people who are in the country illegally, not the Super Bowl, not anywhere else," he said at the time.

So, either DHS and ICE have backed off, or other factors, perhaps the agency's recent struggles in Minnesota, have forced something of a pullback.

Whatever it is, the people who support Super Bowl halftime performer Bad Bunny will see this as a win. 

He turned his GRAMMY Award acceptance speech into an anti-ICE soliloquy.

And the timing of the whole thing, with the singer making his plea on Sunday and the NFL announcing no ICE on Tuesday, is not great optics for people who fall on the side of law enforcement — even if the plans to keep ICE away were laid weeks ago. 

Bad Bunny accepts the Best Música Urbana Album award onstage during the 68th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

Did Bad Bunny Just Beat ICE?

"Before I say thanks to God, I'm going to say ICE out," he said in front of an adoring crowd of fellow performers.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Monday that the NFL's woke halftime performer won't be divisive on a stage meant to unite people.

Speaking of woke, during a Super Bowl security press conference that was much better attended than past such pressers, some in the media unmasked themselves as a bunch of hand-wringing wussies.

Somebody asked what safeguards are in place to protect the public from federal overreach. One reporter stressed there's a big fear factor about ICE and wanted to know if ICE must announce its plans to enforce the law.

Interestingly, no one asked what measures San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Clara, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security are taking to prepare for a possible anti-ICE protest. 

Or a riot.

You know, stuff that a majority of people would like to avoid well ahead of an encounter with ICE. Anyway, Lanier handled all the questions about big, bad ICE with ease.

"We have a great relationship with our federal partners," Lanier said. "We've been working with them very closely over the last 18 months. We've met with the Department of Homeland Security in the last week. I'm confident this partnership is strong and that we're here for that public safety mission and that's what everybody here is focused on. 

"I feel pretty confident that our plans are on the Super Bowl bringing this event to, you know, a happy ending on Sunday afternoon, Sunday evening."

DHS Supervisory Special Agent Jeffrey Brannigan at the Super Bowl LX Security press conference. (Armando Salguero -- OutKick)

(Armando Salguero)

DHS Tells Officials No ICE

Department of Homeland Security Supervisory Special Agent Jeffrey Brannigan explained that DHS has depth that goes beyond law enforcement to cybersecurity, weapons of mass destruction security, and other areas.

But Brannigan declined to commit to not having ICE involved.

"I'll defer to Chief Lanier for those questions," he said.

And that can mean one of a few things:

1. Brannigan doesn't know.
2. He'd rather not be the guy who is seen around the country waving the white flag on behalf of ICE.
3. Or he has an ICE operation up his sleeve.

It's unlikely options one or three are in play, considering Brannigan has spoken with local and NFL officials in recent days to tell them ICE will not be operating at the Super Bowl.