After varying reports of whether or not Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would be at Super Bowl LX, hundreds of protesters marched during the game in opposition of immigration enforcement.
The protesters began their walk down Great America Parkway, about 15 minutes southwest (on foot) from Levi’s Stadium.
Conflicting statements made by the Secretary of Department of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem and Cathy Lanier, chief security officer of the National Football League (NFL), about ICE at the Super Bowl left protesters uncertain.
Noem said that there would be ICE agents at the Super Bowl while Lanier said that there were no planned ICE operations, according to a Feb. 4, Spartan Daily article.
Cameron K, whose last name is withheld for privacy reasons and is a member of the nationwide organization Refuse Fascism, said she didn’t know if there would be ICE agents in the area or not.
“Even if they aren’t here, we should be here,” Cameron said. “We shouldn’t be going about business as usual and just go watch a sports game.”
Cameron also said her presence at the protest wasn’t just to oppose ICE at the Super Bowl, but to put up a fight against the President Donald J. Trump administration and what she believes are its fascist policies.
Scott Wilkinson, another protester and immigration attorney, said that the people need to wake up and that protests need to be happening in other places.
“Donald Trump is the worst president in our history,” Wilkinson said. “…Fascism is alive and well in America.”
Protesters walked with signs demanding Trump’s removal from office and ICE to leave the Bay Area.
Palestinian, Mexican, American and LGBTQ+ Pride flags were all displayed by protesters during the march.
The display carried over into the Levi’s Stadium itself, with fans waving towels that read “ICE OUT.”
The towels were handed out by volunteers outside of the stadium, according to an article from The Athletic.
After a short walk escorted by police, the protesters stopped at the intersection of Great America Parkway and Patrick Henry Dr.
Guest speakers took to the front of the protest to give speeches and lead chants for the hundreds of protesters.
Pan Garcia Breceda, a member of Community Service Organization (CSO) San Jose, said that the group fights for the legalization of all and the elimination of discrimination based on legal status.
“We the people will not let this unjust treatment continue to happen to us now,” Garcia Breceda said. “Trump and ICE are violating rights with the deportation of people without proper due process, family separation and unjustly exclusion from the federal benefits their tax dollars pay for such as Medi-Cal. Shame.”
CSO is a grassroots organization committed to fighting for immigrant and Chicano rights, according to Garcia Breceda.
Ro Khanna, a congressman of the 17th District of California, was in attendance at the protest, according to an article from ABC7 News.
Batman of San José, a local celebrity on Instagram, was also present in the crowd of protesters.
Batman said his presence at the protest was the bare minimum.
“We need to stay united because when they bring the hammer down and they will, we have to be able to fight back,” Batman said. “Otherwise they’re gonna steamroll through us.”
The Santa Clara County Rapid Response Network did not observe any immigration enforcement during the Super Bowl, according to the Instagram account @scc_rapidresponsenetwork.
Christopher Andrade, a San José local, said he attributed the absence of ICE agents to the community’s response.
“This Super Bowl is proof that this movement is working,” Andrade said. “We saw they were supposed to come here en masse. They aren’t here anymore. That happened because of public pressure.”
