Federal Super Bowl surge rattles Bay Area immigrants
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios
The Bay Area is bracing for an influx of federal law enforcement next week for Super Bowl security operations amid nationwide scrutiny over the recent fatal shootings of two Minnesotans by federal agents.
Why it matters: While it remains unclear whether the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) on-the-ground activities will include immigration enforcement, Bay Area immigrant communities and advocates remain on edge.
State of play: The federal government treats the Super Bowl as a high-security event — almost on par with the presidential inauguration, according to NFL vice president of events Nicki Ewell.
- That means thousands of personnel — private, local and federal — will be stationed across Santa Clara and other centers of activity, like downtown San Francisco.
- While typical for major U.S. sporting events due to the risk of domestic terrorism and human trafficking, "any increased presence of immigration officials does increase the sense of fear in a community," Hayden Rodarte, an immigrant justice attorney with the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights, told Axios.
Rodarte, a member of the Rapid Response Network in San Francisco and San Mateo, said the 24-hour hotline expects "higher rates of calls" and will be on standby to verify reports of immigration enforcement activity and provide legal representation.
The other side: DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin declined to provide details about specific operations but told Axios via email that they will "entail a whole of government response conducted in-line with the U.S. Constitution."
- Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in October that ICE will be "all over" the Super Bowl after Bad Bunny, who has criticized immigration raids, was named the halftime headliner.
- "Those who are here legally and are not breaking other laws have nothing to fear," McLaughlin added.
What they're saying: While it's important to avoid unnecessary panic, Rodarte noted the Super Bowl could be an excuse for the Trump administration to "shoehorn in illegal behavior."
- "The Department of Homeland Security has been very open about not even using the guise of security," he said, describing their approach as "arrest first and ask questions later," regardless of citizenship.
Zoom in: Because Levi's Stadium is private property, federal officials would need a warrant signed by a federal judge to enter and make arrests. But in public spaces, people's constitutional rights are "at their weakest," according to Rodarte.
- It's important to evaluate risk "based on your own reality," said Susana Rojas, executive director of San Francisco's Calle 24 Latino Cultural District. Rojas is encouraging people to be proactive about knowing their rights and being aware of their surroundings.
The big picture: San Francisco's Rapid Response Network leaders have seen a "huge decrease in ICE arrests" since Christmas, which Rodarte attributed to preliminary court injunctions and community organizing.
- Meanwhile, Republican cracks are emerging over President Trump's heavy-handed approach to immigration.
Reality check: An increase in federal agents won't change much for undocumented immigrants who already alter daily routines to minimize risk of deportation, Rojas noted.
- "We choose to not operate from a place of fear, but ... it has become part of the way that we think every day," she told Axios. "We're always on the alert."