The Super Bowl is this Sunday at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. South Bay residents are worried that increased event security will escalate ICE’s immigration enforcement.
Since 2011, Santa Clara County has held sanctuary policies, which prohibits the local government from cooperating with ICE.
As is the case with every Super Bowl, federal officers are being sent as additional security.
In a press conference today, the NFL’s Head of Security, Cathy Lanier, tried to assuage people’s fears about ICE:
“There are no known planned enforcement operations scheduled around the Super Bowl.”
But people are still feeling cautious. Mariam Arif of the Services, Immigrant Rights, and Education Network, or SIREN, says, “This administration, as we have seen, can be unpredictable. So for us as community organizations we know our goal is to make sure that we are prepared for the worst case scenario.”
A coalition of grassroots groups is organizing a series of rallies in response. They’re also coordinating de-escalation work, legal observer training, and a Rapid Response Network.
For Arif, one thing is clear: “We don't want ICE on our streets here in the Bay, especially not during the Super Bowl.”
