NFL security chief confirms ICE will not carry out operations at Super Bowl LX

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA: The NFL said on Tuesday, February 3, that the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents won’t be carrying out any “enforcement activities” at the Super Bowl in California this weekend.

During a news conference, the NFL’s chief of security, Cathy L Lanier, spoke with the press where she reportedly claimed, “There is no planned ICE enforcement activities, we are confident of that.”

Cathy Lanier says DHS' agencies presence at NFL won't include ICE

She also mentioned that “Department of Homeland Security has been our partner for more than 20 years now — is made up 20 different departments — will send a variety of different agencies that does not include ICE.”

“There is not ICE deployed with us at the Super Bowl and I don’t believe there has been at the last several,” Lanier added.

Lanier’s confirmation came days before the big showdown between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara on Sunday.

Tricia McLaughlin says DHS' mission is to keep everyone safe

Also, as per DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, DHS agents will be present at the Sunday game for security.

She reportedly said, “DHS is committed to working with our local and federal partners to ensure the Super Bowl is safe for everyone involved, as we do with every major sporting event, including the World Cup. Our mission remains unchanged.”

“We will not disclose future operations or discuss personnel. Super Bowl security will entail a whole of government response conducted in-line with the U.S. Constitution. Those who are here legally and are not breaking other laws have nothing to fear,” McLaughlin added.

San Francisco Mayor insists on keeping 'everybody safe'

However, a few months back, DHS official Corey Lewandowski, a key adviser to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, had suggested that an ICE crackdown may take place at Super Bowl LX.

He stated in October, “There is nowhere that you can provide safe haven to people who are in the country illegally, not the Super Bowl, not anywhere else.”

But San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie believes that the game is going to be a hit amid the unrest in the country. “We are going to keep everybody safe -- our residents, our visitors. Obviously with everything going on, we're staying on top of it, monitoring everything. But I expect everything to be safe and fun,” he added.

People across nation demand ICE out

Meanwhile, speculations around ICE presence began as the Trump administration has been targeting immigrants around the nation. The crackdown has led to countrywide unrest, with many people, Democrats, and Hollywood celebrities protesting against it.

The call to dismiss the ICE crackdown ensued after the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Both US citizens were killed by federal agents. Also, the detention of a five-year-old boy named Liam Conejo Ramos attracted a lot of criticism.