No ICE immigration operations planned in Bay Area during Super Bowl, officials say
By Zach Fuentes
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — Officials said there are no planned ICE operations surrounding the Super Bowl week in the Bay Area, as NFL leaders and law enforcement held a Tuesday press conference.
Some of the Bay Area’s top law enforcement leaders gathered Tuesday to wrap up 18 months of planning to keep Super Bowl weekend safe.
“The Super Bowl has been designated again as a SEAR 1 event, that is the second-highest security assessment rating for a large special event,” NFL Chief of Security Cathy Lanier said.
That designation means that NFL security and local police departments get additional support from federal law enforcement.
“In the days ahead, there will be a significant increase in federal personnel, including federal law enforcement, across the region. These professionals are here with the specific and strict purpose of directly supporting the Super Bowl-related security plans of the cities of Santa Clara, San Francisco, and San Jose,” said Jeff Branigan, lead federal coordinator for the Department of Homeland Security.
Though they wouldn’t go into detail about all of the operations they’re conducting, Lanier said ICE operations are not expected and this DHS partnership is normal.
“There’s no planned ICE enforcement activities; we are confident of that,” Lanier said. “Secondly, our Department of Homeland Security, who’s been our partner for more than 20 years now, is made up of more than 20 different departments.”
Local law enforcement — including police departments from Santa Clara, San Francisco and San Jose — were also on hand for Tuesday’s press conference.
Each of them says they have a comprehensive public safety plan in place that addresses a wide range of scenarios.
They urge everyone in the community to report anything suspicious.
“We ask the public to help us,” said Chief Cory Morgan of the Santa Clara Police Department. “If you see something, say something. I’m excited for Sunday. It’s going to be a beautiful day in Santa Clara, and we are ready.”