DHS personnel descend on New Orleans to help secure Super Bowl LIX
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem speaks during the Super Bowl LIX Public Safety Press Conference at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on February 03, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Chris Graythen via Getty Images
CISA has already conducted physical and cybersecurity vulnerability assessments ahead of the Feb. 9 NFL championship game.
The Department of Homeland Security is deploying hundreds of personnel and advanced security technologies to help safeguard this coming Sunday’s Super Bowl matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs in New Orleans.
DHS shared details about its security efforts on Monday, saying that personnel from 12 of its sub-agencies will be providing ground- and air-based support in and around Caesars Superdome before, during and after the big game.
During a press conference on Monday, recently confirmed DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said “the Super Bowl is the biggest homeland security event that we do every single year” and promised streamlined and open communication between federal, state and local partners.
Since its inception, DHS has provided enhanced security and safety support for large-scale events, such as the Super Bowl and World Series. Super Bowl LIX is expected to be attended by an estimated 73,000 fans.
To secure the game and New Orleans at large from potential threats, DHS said it will be deploying “chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosives detection technologies,” along with other risk mitigation resources.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency will be providing advisors and emergency communications coordinators to provide on-the-ground support to law enforcement officials and other responders. DHS said the cyber agency has already conducted “physical and cybersecurity vulnerability assessments, planning exercises and bomb safety workshops with state and local partners.”
The Federal Aviation Administration — which is based within the Department of Transportation — has already declared a “no-drone zone” around the Superdome the day of the game, as well as over downtown New Orleans in the days leading up to the Super Bowl. DHS said Customs and Border Protection will enforce flight restrictions around the stadium and also provide airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support.
Threat assessments were conducted ahead of the game by the DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis, and the department’s Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office has already provided city officials with “surge support” from its Mobile Detection Deployment Program and its BioWatch program.
Personnel from the Transportation Security Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency and U.S. Coast Guard are also being deployed in and around the city to provide further assistance to state and local partners.
“From securing critical infrastructure to providing real-time threat analysis, we are committed to safeguarding our communities,” Eric DeLaune, Homeland Security Investigations’ New Orleans Special Agent in Charge and lead federal coordinator for Super Bowl LIX, said in a statement. “With over 690 DHS personnel deployed, we bring cutting-edge security resources and technologies to ensure every aspect of this event is protected.”
The game comes just over a month after the New Year’s Day terror attack in New Orleans, in which 14 people were killed.
Although DHS said that “no specific, credible threats related to this year’s game have been identified,” it cited the New Orleans attack and said the U.S. “remains in a heightened threat environment.”
The number of deployed DHS employees across New Orleans marks a significant increase in personnel from last year’s matchup, when the department said over 385 personnel from its agencies were sent to Las Vegas to help secure last year’s Super Bowl game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs.
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