The NFL’s Chief Security Officer, Cathy L. Lanier, has confirmed that there are no “planned ICE” operations scheduled around the upcoming Super Bowl LX. Her confirmation comes months after U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem had said otherwise.
NFL answers if there are plans for ICE activities at Super Bowl
During a recent press meet, Cathy L. Lanier, the NFL’s Chief Security Officer, said, “There are no planned ICE or immigration enforcement operations that are scheduled around the Super Bowl or any of the Super Bowl-related events” (via NBC San Diego).
Instead, Lanier said that they are supported by more than 35 federal, state, and local agencies. The respective departments will ensure that the event and the surrounding community are safe, while they “carry out all the fun activities around the Super Bowl.”
The security officer further emphasized that the Department of Homeland Security, which has been their partner for more than 20 years, comprises more than 20 different departments. She added that while the DHS will be dispatching a “variety of different agencies,” it will not include ICE agents. “There is [no] ICE deployed with us at the Super Bowl, and I don’t believe there has been for the last several [years],” Lanier explained.
She also briefly spoke about any potential threats to the events. The officer assured that multiple “intelligence groups” are monitoring sources, and that they have not reported any credible threats yet. “Nothing is on our radar. We’re feeling really good going into this event.”
The press meet comes ahead of Super Bowl LX, which kicks off on Sunday, February 8, 2026. It will feature the Puerto Rican rapper, Bad Bunny, performing during the halftime show.
In contrast to Lanier’s statement, Kristi Noem, the United States Secretary of Homeland Security, previously confirmed that ICE will be present at the Super Bowl during an interview in October, 2025.
She said, “There will be because the Department of Homeland Security is responsible for keeping it safe. I have the responsibility for making sure everybody [who] goes to the Super Bowl has the opportunity to enjoy it and leave. That’s what America is about.”
“So, yeah. We’ll be all over that place. We’re going to enforce the law,” Noem emphasized.
