The National Football League (NFL) has put speculation about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers showing up to the Superbowl to rest.
The NFL’s chief security officer announced on Tuesday that ICE will not be conducting immigration enforcement raids at the upcoming Super Bowl, which is being held at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California on Sunday, according to Fox News.
The announcement confirmed that attendees will not have to worry about federal immigration agents rounding up illegal immigrants at the big game. “There are no planned ICE immigration enforcement operations associated with SBLX,” the announcement said.
Speculation about ICE activity at the Super Bowl began last October when Trump administration officials indicated that the agency would be conducting immigration enforcement operations. Homeland Security Adviser Corey Lewandowski said ICE agents would be “all over” the Super Bowl, warning that “there is nowhere you can provide safe haven to people who are in this country illegally. Not the Super Bowl and nowhere else.”
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem echoed these comments, saying ICE would go after illegal immigrants at the event. These statements fueled fears among fans and stadium workers who were concerned about mass deportations occurring during the nation’s biggest sporting event.
Meanwhile, the NFL sparked even more controversy when it announced that Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny would headline the Super Bowl halftime show in late September. The artist has been an ardent critic of the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration policies. During a recent speech at the Grammy Awards, he criticized ICE to thunderous applause from the audience.
If the @NFL doesn’t immediately switch the halftime show from whoever “Bad Bunny” is, they will see the largest viewership drop in Super Bowl history.
— Jason “Storm Chaser” Nelson (@RealJasonNelson) February 2, 2026
The boycott will be bigger than the game itself.
Heck, I’ll boycott anyone who advertises.
Change the show, or we change the… pic.twitter.com/dVxZCzXNYz
Lewandowski criticized the NFL’s choice, saying the league “opted for someone who evidently harbors disdain for America.”
Roger Goodell heard Bad Bunny condemn ICE at the Grammy’s, rumors that he may wear a dress to honor LGBTQ icons, knows he incorporates demonic themes in his music, heard him mock NFL fans for not knowing Spanish on SNL, & he STILL believes the Halftime Show will “unite people”…… pic.twitter.com/sggaKzU0nP
— Jon Root (@JonnyRoot_) February 3, 2026
President Donald Trump also chimed in, telling Newsmax that he had never heard of Bad Bunny and that he found the choice “absolutely ridiculous.”
However, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell refused to back down. He said the decision was “carefully thought through” in a statement.