With Super Bowl LIX between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks approaching, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is scheduled to have a presence at the event. Some students question what role such an enforcement agency has at one of the nation’s most-watched sporting celebrations, while others say it could affect how people experience the game. Below, we asked students around the Palo Alto High School campus about their opinions on ICE being present at the Super Bowl this year.
“I don’t think it’s a good thing because I feel like people should be able to enjoy the Super Bowl rather than having to be worried about ICE.”
— Aadi Weiner, 11th Grade
“I don’t think it’s a very good look for the government to be sending ICE to a fun event, so I think it’s not good.”
— Anthony Fan, 9th Grade
“I think ICE has no role being at the Super Bowl. There’s no reason for them to be there. There’s no point in them being there. What does ICE have to do with football? Keep sports out of the enforcement of the law.”
— Simone Batra, 12th Grade
“With a lot of what’s going on, it’s a pattern that I would expect at some point, but it still feels a little unnecessary. Especially since the Super Bowl’s a really important event for the entire nation.”
— Luana Lamb, 9th Grade
“I think that ICE being present at the Super Bowl is obviously very morally wrong. It’s very predatory to be attacking people and waiting for people when they’re trying to obviously spend time with their family.”
— Paolo Buendia, 11th Grade
“I don’t think it is a good thing, but I also don’t inherently think it is a bad thing. I mean, it’s their job, right?”
— Jack January, 11th Grade