U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna stood outside of Levi’s Stadium on Sunday as thousands of football fans streamed inside the Santa Clara venue.
The congressman wasn’t there to cheer on his favorite team. He had stopped by to send a message: Federal immigration agents were not welcome at the Super Bowl.
“This is my district and this is a time for elected leaders to be outside with people,” said Khanna (D-Fremont). “I’ve communicated to the NFL and to the administration to keep ICE out, but I think physically being here in the community makes a big difference.”
At a news conference earlier this month, NFL chief security officer Cathy Lanier said she was confident that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents would not conduct operations at the Super Bowl. But Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem previously confirmed that ICE would be present.
“We’ll be all over that place,” she told Benny Johnson, a right-wing podcaster, in October. “We’re going to enforce the law.”
Khanna said his office had been flooded with calls and emails as the mixed messaging left many local residents fearful. He kept his district office open Sunday in case constituents had run-ins with ICE and needed assistance.
As of 2 p.m., there hadn’t been any reports.
Khanna was among 21 Democrats in Congress, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who sent a joint letter to Noem last week voicing opposition to immigration raids at the Super Bowl.
“This should be a moment of celebration, unity, and economic opportunity, not a flashpoint for fear, polarization, and violence,” the lawmakers wrote. “Having ICE at the Super Bowl would undermine public safety, disrupt communities, and threaten the peaceful enjoyment this event should bring to the region and the nation.”
Khanna wasn’t the only one speaking out against ICE on Sunday.
Around 5:30 p.m. about two dozen anti-ICE and anti-Trump protesters gathered across the street from the stadium and unfurled a large yellow banner with the words “Trump must go now.” They chanted a profane slogan and “Trump is on the Epstein list.”
One woman, dressed as the Statue of Liberty, held a poster that said “Murder Is Murder Stop ICE.” Another carried a sign with photos of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, two U.S. citizens fatally shot by federal agents in Minnesota.
Before the game, activists Shasti Conrad and Michael Ceraso passed out rally towels with the words “ICE OUT” emblazoned on one side and a picture of a rabbit kicking a football enclosed in an ice cube on the other. The rabbit was inspired by halftime performer Bad Bunny, who has spoken out about the administration’s immigration raids, including at the Grammy Awards. Trump has called Bad Bunny “a terrible choice” for halftime performer.
“My heart told me to do it,” said Ceraso, explaining that he felt called to speak up for others living in fear.
Conrad wasn’t sure how football fans would react but said most people eagerly accepted a towel. “We have had overwhelming support,” she said, adding that thousands of towels were gone by the early afternoon.
Others used music to get their message across. At one point, a song disparaging Noem and serving as an anti-ICE anthem that’s been widely circulated on social media could be heard coming from a crowd gathered outside the stadium.
The Trump administration’s immigration raids, often conducted by masked agents in unmarked cars, have come under fire due to aggressive, and some argue unconstitutional, tactics — such as allegedly using children as bait or forcibly entering homes without a judicial warrant. The killings of Good and Pretti sparked further fear and backlash.
