Santa Clara sheriff ignites feud with ICE as tension ramps up before Super Bowl

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Santa Clara County Sheriff Bob Jonsen has stoked the fires ahead of next week's Super Bowl by revealing his forces won't help Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) with their crackdown.

The Trump administration is expected to send ICE agents to the Bay Area ahead of the Seattle Seahawks' clash with the New England Patriots on February 8.

Secretary of homeland security Kristi Noem previously vowed 'we’ll be all over that place' while a DHS official this week warned: 'Those who are here legally and are not breaking other laws have nothing to fear.'

The Super Bowl heads to Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara amid heightened tensions across America following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, which came two weeks after 37-year-old Renee Good was fatally shot in her car by an ICE officer.

Their deaths have sparked widespread protests, with some in the Trump administration accusing local officials of not doing enough to support federal law enforcement and even heightening tensions.

Now, Jonsen has revealed that Santa Clara law enforcement will not 'change' their 'policies or protocols' to accommodate ICE operations.

ICE agents will not be patrolling around Levi's Stadium on Super Bowl Sunday, reports claim

Secretary of homeland security Kristi Noem previously said: 'We’ll be all over [the Super Bowl]'

'We will not be working or supporting ICE Immigration Enforcement,' he told a news conference on Thursday.

'I urge our federal partners, if there's something that you’re planning to do in our community, please, please be transparent and reach out to your local officials so we can work as best we can.'

Jonsen attempted to reassure fans in the Bay Area, telling them: 'If you see us out there, we’re there to help you and we will be there. Don’t hesitate to contact someone wearing a uniform as these events unfold if they’re walking around trying to engage and make sure you remain safe.'

He continued: 'We are going to be here for you, side-by-side. So, as you're getting off those trains [or] those buses... [there is a] high probability you're going to see somebody in uniform. 

'But if they're not masked, if they're wearing tan and green or blue or black, trust me, they're there for your protection. They are there for your protection.'

The sheriff told the public to keep an eye out for any agents covering their faces. 'If they're masked and they're trying to hide their identity, then somebody hasn't communicated with us,' he said.

'Because we’ve made it very clear to our officers, our workforce is to be open and transparent and engaged in this community for the next few weeks and that is also our goal each and everyday. 

'We’ve spent decades building this community, building that trust. I’ve had conversations with many… over the past year, trying to give you as much information as we can about what we know is gonna happen and when it’s gonna happen and if it’s gonna happen but without that communication we can’t.'

Super Bowl LX between the Patriots and Seahawks will take place in Santa Clara, California

Bad Bunny was controversially chosen to perform the Super Bowl LX halftime show

Reports on Thursday claimed there are no plans for ICE to carry out operations at Levi's Stadium or at NFL-sponsored events in the build up to Super Bowl Sunday. But DHS told TMZ that their plans to be on the ground around the Super Bowl had not changed despite unrest in Minneapolis. 

Last year, meanwhile, Trump ally Corey Lewandowski warned: 'There is nowhere that you can provide safe haven to people who are in this country illegally, not the Super Bowl, and nowhere else.'

He continued: 'We will find you, we will apprehend you, we will put you in a detention facility and we will deport you.' 

Noem even urged people to avoid the Super Bowl 'unless they are law-abiding Americans who love this country,' adding: 'We’ll be all over that place... we’re gonna enforce the law.' 

And earlier this week DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin said: 'DHS is committed to working with our local and federal partners to ensure the Super Bowl is safe for everyone involved, as we do with every major sporting event, including the World Cup.'

McLaughlin insisted that Super Bowl security would involve a response 'conducted in-line with the US constitution.'

But there are concerns among local officials that the presence of ICE could 'increase the level of tension and fear in our area.' 

Peter Ortiz of the San Jose city council told the San Jose Spotlight: 'We’re already seeing that they are scared to go out to eat, scared to go to the local corner store, scared to send their kids to school.'

President Trump has said he will not attend this year's Super Bowl, having also slammed the decision to choose Bad Bunny for the halftime show. 

The Puerto Rican artist previously cited ICE agents as a reason he did not include any mainland US dates for his tour.