Beyond the politics and protests, Super Bowl LX security gears up

• The Super Bowl is designated a top-tier security event, involving multiple federal and local agencies.
• Officials say there are no known specific or credible threats to the Super Bowl or related events.
• Security measures include comprehensive surveillance, bomb-sniffing dogs, and aerial radiation surveys.

SAN FRANCISCO – Security at the Super Bowl has always been of paramount concern, typically drawing its fair share of attention outside of the big game itself.

But the critical topic that traditionally focuses on the scores of highly visible (and not-so-visible) federal and local law enforcement officers on scene, an undisclosed number of surveillance cameras and various high-tech command centers scanning the skies above and every entrance and everything in between, has been vastly overshadowed by the specter of Immigration and Customs Enforcement imposing its presence across the San Francisco Bay Area.

Yet, days before the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks clash at Levi's Stadium on Feb. 8, NFL Chief Security Officer Cathy Lanier said ICE will not be anywhere around, and Homeland Security, the department that oversees it, will not conduct any immigration enforcement.

"We are confident of that. Our Department of Homeland Security, who’s been our partner for more than 20 years now and is made up of more than 20 different departments, will send a variety of different agencies," Lanier said during a press conference, addressing multiple questions about the deployment of federal agents.

"It does not include ICE. There is no ICE deployed with us at the Super Bowl," Lanier continued. "And I don’t believe there has been in the last several (Super Bowl games)."

Additionally, Lanier said there are no known specific or credible threats to the Super Bowl or any related events. Emphasizing that federal security presence during this Super Bowl will be no different than at other major sporting events, including the Olympics, the World Cup and past Super Bowls, Lanier's comments come at a time when America's ongoing political divisiveness has been viewed by some as seeping into the sports world.

Lanier and her security teams have an unenviable task, said Corri Zoli, a researcher at Syracuse University’s Forensic and National Security Sciences Institute.

"There are a lot of serious matters and performative politics at play," Zoli told USA TODAY. "But this is a colossal public safety challenge, and at the end of the day, Homeland Security and local law enforcement have to manage the real and fundamental issues by working in tandem to keep people safe."

'Every precaution is taken'

Officials say Super Bowl LX security planning has been ongoing for the past 18 months. It's designated as a "Special Event Assessment Rating (SEAR) Level 1," event, a top-tier level that includes comprehensive surveillance, bomb-sniffing dogs and strict clear bag policies for those attending most events, including the game. Among the agencies assisting are the Transportation Safety Administration, Customs and Border Protection, the Coast Guard and the Secret Service, if the president attends.

And while they don't anticipate unusual ICE activity, California Gov. Gavin Newsom's office released a statement on Feb. 3 that said, "California will work with state and local officials to ensure everyone's safety."

That team effort is going to be crucial, Zoli said.

"There shouldn't be a wedge in the ability to collaborate," Zoli said. "Nobody wants to see a public safety crisis in the middle of the Super Bowl with the whole world watching."

Overall, Homeland Security has been in charge of Super Bowl security since its creation in 2002. Jeff Brannigan, an acting special-agent-in-charge for Homeland Security Investigations in Northern California, said during the Feb. 3 news conference that for Super Bowl LX there will be federal tactical teams working with local SWAT units; federal aircraft monitoring regional airspace; and uniformed officers manning various computer screening technologies.

Brannigan urged locals and the estimated 1.3 million visitors attending related activities to notify the authorities if they see anything suspicious.

"Our collective safety plan has been deliberate and layered, encountering a wide array of threats," Brannigan said. "We've shared intelligence, ensured the introduction of key counter measures, and shored up our emergency while remaining flexible and adaptable."

The safety actions also include special helicopters hovering over the region. The Department of Energy’s Nuclear Emergency Support Team (NEST) said it will be conducting routine background radiation surveys between now and the game, a standard security measure for major events.

"They look for radioactive material that potentially could be spread over the stadium," James DeMeo, a professor at Tulane University and event security expert, told USA TODAY. "Nothing is spared. Every precaution is taken into consideration."

DeMeo, who is also an executive with Crowdguard US, a crowd-safety solutions provider, said authorities will be monitoring and compiling intelligence. It ranges from spotting potential violence to monitoring biometrics (to avoid possible data breaches and system attacks both domestically and abroad) to gauging social media and the dark web, to anticipating rallies, marches, and protests in the area and on game day.

"It's going to be an excessive show of resources," DeMeo said. "Some we can see, and some we can't."

The Trump factor

Although President Donald Trump made history last year by becoming the first sitting president to attend the Super Bowl, the big sports fan and former pro football franchise owner is supposedly sitting this one out.

The president reportedly dislikes the musical performers, Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny and the rock band Green Day, both outspoken Trump critics.

"I’m anti-them. I think it’s a terrible choice," Trump told the New York Post last month. "All it does is sow hatred. Terrible."

Trump's presence in the Bay Area would have definitely increased security concerns as the Secret Service would have taken over, DeMeo, the Tulane professor, noted.

But it also could have heightened the political tension in California, a state where Trump has never won in his three presidential contests; has controversially ordered federal troops to Los Angeles for immigration enforcement; and failed to keep his vow to help the area's wildfire victims with federal assistance.

He's also in a very public feud with Newsom, the governor and possible 2028 Democratic presidential candidate.

Trump is very attuned to optics, and with a growing negative approval rating according to numerous polls, in part due to civil unrest due to his controversial immigration enforcement actions in Minneapolis, the president may not want to be in a scenario he can't control, said Omar Wasow, an assistant professor of political science at the University of California, Berkeley. 

"This is a moment where it’s entirely plausible we will see the subtle and more visible displeasure with the Trump administration," Wasow said about the Super Bowl, especially if Trump attends. "I’m guessing he doesn't want to reinforce that impression of waning popularity, so probably the last thing he wants to do is appear live on national TV and get booed."