U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Recaps Successful Role at 2017 Tournament of Roses Parade, Rose Bowl Game

More than 140 personnel from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) put in long hours over New Years’ weekend as part of the massive multiagency law enforcement response to ensure the security of the 2017 Rose Bowl Game and the Tournament of Roses Parade, officials said.

As part of that effort, personnel from the technical operations divisions with Homeland Security Investigations headquarters and the Los Angeles office worked jointly to strategically place additional technical and human resources in order to provide comprehensive visibility throughout the event.

Additionally, Homeland Security Investigations provided intelligence resources and staffing for the round-the-clock command center. Had any serious incidents occurred, HSI’s Special Response Team and Rapid Response Team were standing by onsite to respond immediately.

“The Tournament of Roses Parade has been an American institution for more than a century and HSI is proud to play a key role in this historic event,” said Joseph Macias, special agent in charge for HSI Los Angeles. “As the recent terror attacks in the U.S. and Europe make abundantly clear, it’s crucial to have a well-coordinated, multi-layered approach to detect and deter such threats. In this instance, our collaborative efforts helped ensure football fans and parade goers stayed safe. No doubt the only people who left Pasadena disappointed were Penn State boosters who watched in disbelief as their team fell to USC in the final seconds.”

For the second year in a row, the Department of Homeland Security designated the Tournament of Roses Parade and Rose Bowl Game as a Level 1 Special Event and assigned Homeland Security Investigations Los Angeles Deputy Special Agent in Charge Edward V. Owens to serve as the Deputy Federal Coordinator.

In addition to HSI, several other Homeland Security components also contributed resources to the security effort, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Secret Service, the Transportation Security Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Homeland Security Investigations said that approximately 500,000 people lined the streets of Pasadena for the Tournament of Roses Parade, with an additional 92,000 spectators attending the Rose Bowl Game.