After weeks of swirling speculation, there is finally clarity surrounding the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations at the Super Bowl in California this weekend. Standing before reporters ahead of the clash between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks, NFL Chief of Security Cathy Lanier delivered a clear message:

“There are no planned ICE or immigration enforcement operations that are scheduled around the Super Bowl or any of the Super Bowl-related events,” Lanier said in the conference ahead of the big game. “The federal presence here is consistent with past Super Bowls, and other sporting events like what you will see around the World Cup and the Olympics as well.”

Lanier also emphasized just how much work has gone into planning for this year’s game. She mentioned that security preparations for the Super Bowl have been underway for roughly 18 months and will include coordination with 35 federal, state, and local agencies across the Bay Area, all focused on keeping fans safe throughout the event. Additional measures include temporary flight restrictions throughout the week, and the venue will be a no-drone zone.

While security will be tight, ICE’s presence has been a topic of media discussion. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) even held calls with the NFL and local authorities to make it clear that no immigration enforcement actions are planned for the Super Bowl. Still, lingering unease remains, with some fearing that DHS leadership might change their plans before the game.

After all, Trump’s immigration forces had been active in California since last year. But that only grew stronger when they moved into downtown Los Angeles in June. More recently, Minneapolis spiraled into chaos, with confrontations between authorities and protesters, and two lives were lost in the aftermath. Since then, the administration has shifted its policy.

So, the new stance is a significant change from months ago. In fact, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s key advisor, Corey Lewandowski, had said last October that ICE agents would be present to enforce immigration laws at the game.

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

While the NFL is projecting an image of standard, albeit heightened, security, the political climate surrounding immigration has had a direct impact on the halftime star himself. In fact, rapper Bad Bunny previously avoided touring in the continental U.S., reportedly fearing that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would show up at his concerts.

His criticism of the Trump administration’s immigration policies has led to backlash from President Trump himself, who described Bad Bunny’s selection as the Super Bowl LX headliner as “absolutely ridiculous” and a “terrible choice” in interviews so far.

However, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has also weighed in on the issue, voicing support for Bad Bunny as the Super Bowl LX halftime performer. Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Goodell highlighted the artist’s influence and broad appeal.

“Bad Bunny is, and I think that was demonstrated last night, one of the great artists in the world,” he said. “That’s one of the reasons we chose him. But the other reason is he understood the platform he was on, and that this platform is used to unite people and to be able to bring people together, with their creativity, with their talent. And I think artists in the past have done that. I think Bad Bunny understands it, and I think he’ll have a great performance.”

The selection process of the Super Bowl headliner starts as soon as the previous one ends, and usually wraps up by late summer or early fall. The NFL has worked with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation since 2020, with the rapper playing an important role in choosing the halftime performer.

The 31-year-old has previously made an appearance on the Super Bowl stage in 2020, performing alongside Shakira and Jennifer Lopez. Since then, he has finished as Spotify’s most-streamed artist four times, with nearly 20 billion total streams. The focus on the halftime star has led many to dub the event the ‘Benito Bowl.’

But he has also made waves with his recent comments.

What did Bad Bunny say during his Grammy Award speech?

Bad Bunny used the Grammy stage to share a strong message with the world. On Sunday, at the 68th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, the reggaeton star spoke openly about immigration, love, and treating people with respect during his first speech of the night.

“Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say, ICE out,” Bad Bunny said. “We’re not savage. We’re not animals. We’re not aliens. We are humans, and we are Americans.”

“The only thing that is more powerful than hate is love. So, please, we need to be different. If we fight, we have to do it with love. We don’t hate them. We love our people, we love our family. And that’s the way to do it, with love. Don’t forget that, please.”

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The 31-year-old artist made history at the Grammys by winning Album of the Year for DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, becoming the first artist to win the award with a Spanish-language album. Bad Bunny dedicated the win to immigrants chasing a better life, Latinos around the world, and the artists who came before him.

Meanwhile, NFL senior vice president and global head of major events, Jon Barker, had previously expressed support for the Super Bowl LX headliner.

“We always say football is for everybody. And so is music. Music is for everybody,” Barker said. “Between (the NFL), Roc and eventually who that artist is, we’re all unified in that mission, which is to deliver a global entertainment moment that really unifies the world around this sport and this game and that particular moment in time.”

And that was precisely Bad Bunny’s message. His speech went beyond music and sports. By talking about love, respect, and immigrants, he used his platform to share a message about unity and caring for one another on one of the biggest stages in music.