Sex workers and advocates plan to rally Monday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the San Jose Convention Center to protest spending on anti-trafficking operations surrounding Super Bowl LX. The game is scheduled for Feb. 8 at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara.
Dozens of law enforcement agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement, are coordinating operations ahead of the Super Bowl. Organizers question whether the efforts target trafficking or serve as a pretext for arresting and deporting immigrants.
“Every year the same fake stories about sex trafficking at the Super Bowl resurface,” said Soma Snakeoil, executive director of The Sidewalk Project. “There’s not a shred of evidence to support an increase in sex trafficking at the Super Bowl.”
Snakeoil cited research from the Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women that has challenged claims of increased trafficking during major sporting events. She said historical operations have primarily resulted in sex worker arrests rather than identifying trafficking victims, with most arrests involving Black, Latina and other women of color.
The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors recently approved $27,456 in overtime funding for human trafficking operations during Super Bowl LX, based on an average overtime rate of $156 per hour. Critics note this comes as state and federal budgets for survivor services face cuts.
Rachel West of US PROStitutes Collective advocated for a guaranteed care income program as an alternative approach. She referenced a San Francisco pilot program that provided $2,000 monthly payments to 10 low-income single mothers for one year. The program, coordinated by In Defense of Prostitute Women’s Safety and partner organizations, aimed to address economic hardships that can lead to criminalization or child welfare involvement.
The Stop the Raid Committee, which campaigns for sex work decriminalization, is organizing the rally.
