If you walked around Fisherman’s Wharf from Feb. 3-5, you may have seen a billboard advertising “Defensive Player of the Year: ICE” ahead of the Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8. While the billboard was removed due to criticisms, it prompted a conversation on whether ICE belonged there in the first place. With the Super Bowl in town, Foothill College students were asked about which team they were supporting, how they felt about the choice of halftime show performer and their reactions to immigration enforcement and ICE presence surrounding the event. 

While opinions on the game and the halftime performer varied, one sentiment was glaringly clear: ICE should not be involved. 

“It’s weird for ICE to be at the Super Bowl,” Foothill student Will said. “Especially when it comes to something like sports, it’s meant to be enjoyed by all.” He added that seeing ICE activity around the Bay Area during a major sporting event felt unwarranted and superfluous. 

Ash, another Foothill student, shared similar concerns. “I think that’s jacked,” she said. “I feel like they are doing it for a reason, because they are targeting a demographic.” Ash and her friend Denise explained that while they are excited to have the Super Bowl in their area, the surrounding atmosphere has dampened that excitement. “I’m excited, but I’m dreading it because there is going to be a lot of traffic,” they said. 

Another student, Kai, echoed the overall same feelings toward ICE presence, saying, “I don’t think it’s great.” 

Foothill students, however, had more mixed opinions on the halftime performer, with some in full support of Bad Bunny and others indifferent about it. 

“I am fully in support of everything [Bad Bunny] is about,” Will said. “I’m a big fan of his music and everything he’s been talking about.” 

Yatish, another student, shared that enthusiasm, “I’m totally down for it,” he said. “I like it. I like Bad Bunny.” 

Others, however, said the halftime show was not a major factor for them. Kai said, “I personally don’t really care about his music, but most Super Bowl halftime show performances aren’t that important to me.” Nick shared a similar view, saying, “I don’t really care about the halftime show to be honest.” 

Before the show, I saw a lot of comments.

There has been a controversial framing online that the halftime show felt “un-American.” The Super Bowl has featured plenty of headliners who weren’t born in the continental U.S. and there was no backlash. The choice of performer is showing that the NFL is trying to grow more out of this purely U.S. bubble and is expanding to a more global reach. The halftime show averaged 128.2 million viewers on U.S. broadcast networks and generated a record-breaking 4 billion social media views in its first 24 hours, with 55% reportedly coming from international markets. At the same time, an “All-American” alternative halftime show was promoted by Turning Point USA with Kid Rock performing reportedly only received 21 million views through the first 72 hours. 

As the Super Bowl brought national attention to the Bay Area, it also highlighted how major sporting events can become platforms for broader social and political messaging. In an increasingly polarized country, moments that once centered purely on entertainment or competition are often weaponized to advance larger debates about identity, belonging and national values. For the Foothill students interviewed, reactions to ICE presence suggested a desire for sports to remain spaces of inclusion rather than arenas for political signaling. While opinions differed on the halftime show and the game itself, this year’s event demonstrated how quickly cultural moments can shift from celebration to an increasingly divided political stance.