Skip to content

News

ICYMI: Homeland Republicans Assess Security, Coordination Efforts for Upcoming Mass-Spectator Events

May 23, 2025

WASHINGTON, D.C. –– This week, Rep. Dale Strong (R-AL), chairman of the Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology, held a hearing to assess security measures and federal, state, local, and private-sector coordination efforts for upcoming mass-gathering events.

Witness testimony was provided by Donald Barnes, sheriff-coroner at the Orange County Sheriff’s Department; John Junell, chief security officer at Live Nation Entertainment; and Jeremy Hammond, assistant commissioner of the Southeastern Conference.

The witnesses highlighted the importance of federal homeland security grants, counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS), and well-trained personnel to prepare for upcoming mass-spectator events, such as the 2025 Ryder Cup, the FIFA World Cup in 2026, the United States’ 250th anniversary in 2026, and the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. They also provided an overview of how all levels of law enforcement can work together to identify and mitigate threats.

In his opening statement, Chairman Strong discussed the importance of preparing for the upcoming mass-gathering events:

“In the years ahead, the United States will host several major international sporting events, including: The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and the 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympics in Los Angeles. These events present enormous opportunities – delivering economic benefits, while also showcasing our great Nation on the international stage. But they also bring significant security challenges.”
 
“Take the 2026 World Cup for example: 78 matches will be played in 11 U.S. cities, with an estimated 6.5 million fans traveling to the U.S. Not to mention, it will also be played in the midst of celebrations for America’s 250th anniversary. To meet these unprecedented demands, DHS has convened an ‘all-hands on deck’ approach to ensure they are safe and secure.”

In his opening statement, Barnes provided suggestions on how to counter the threat of adversarial drones at mass-gathering events:

“Lawmakers must establish a legal framework that provides broad-based but carefully regulated authority for locals to deploy and operate counter-UA systems. This framework must be supported by funding, training, oversight, and transparency. Finally, we ask for your support in leaving resource impacts on local law enforcement. The number of simultaneous events and multiple cities will put tremendous stress on resources across the country. Federal grant funding to help offset these costs, which has been provided during previous Olympics, will help us maintain operations associated with these events while also fulfilling our day-to-day law enforcement responsibilities to our communities.”

In his opening statement, Junell discussed drone usage in America and the security threat drones can pose when in the wrong hands:

“It’s essential that more events are covered by FAA-issued temporary flight restrictions or TFRs and counter UAS authority be expanded to local law enforcement. Drone use continues to grow rapidly. The FAA recently reported that more than one million drones are now registered in the U.S., 160 percent increase since 2019. Given the rise in usage and high-profile, drone-related incidents, expanding TFR authority is needed.”

In his opening statement, Hammond highlighted the importance of interagency coordination:

“The largest events that are hosted in this country on a consistent basis currently do not qualify for federal interagency support. I work with my colleagues at our member institutions to identify emerging challenges to their operations, and I’d like to share a few of those with you today. These topics fall in the category of what keeps you up at night. Vehicle mitigation. Campus environments are full of soft targets with tailgates and team walks surrounding the stadium. A bad actor with the vehicle has become a hallmark of modern crowd attacks. Unfortunately, we saw that play out on January 1st in New Orleans as fans prepared to enjoy the Sugar Bowl. As has been mentioned multiple times today, already the UAS or drone threat. The proliferation of drones and modern warfare has exacerbated that concern and for that threat at full stadiums across the country.”

“We’re encouraged by the efforts of both the Senate and the House to introduce legislation that would allow federal agencies to deputize local officials with the authority to mitigate drone threats with the proper training and the access to the advanced technology and finally, access to intelligence, staffing, equipment, and funding resources that modernize public safety posture at our events.”

Chairman Strong asked what steps the federal government should take to counter potential threats at mass-gathering events:

“What can Congress and the federal government do to better support security preparedness at mass-gathering events going forward?”

Barnes answered:  

“We can probably speak for an hour about the risks that we have experienced by drones in our different areas of responsibility…In Orange County, we had an individual flying drones within hundreds of feet from departing aircraft at John Wayne Airport. Any one of those impacts would have undoubtedly placed that jet at risk, and all it’s passengers. Fortunately, that was adopted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. He was prosecuted, but we had no way to mitigate that drone or locate it. We found him through social media as he’s posting his footage online. If not for that, we probably would not know who that person was. We’ve had narcotics trafficking with drones into our jails. We’ve had them intervene with emergency response during wildland fires. And sadly, if you followed the recent news, the cartels, a foreign terrorist organization, are using drones and counter-drone technology against the United States.”

“Funding is critical… but interagency collaboration, I think, is most important. We all have to be at the table. We have to be operating on the same common operating platform.” 

Rep. Gabe Evans (R-CO), a former police officer, asked how law enforcement can prepare for these events:

“What are those critical shortcomings at the tactical level, specifically focusing on either equipment shortfalls, training shortfalls, communications shortfalls during an event that would potentially impact your ability to operate efficiently with other federal, state, and local partners?”

Barnes answered: 

“Mobile field force should be a national standard for crowd control and maintaining order within our communities. We’ve heavily invested in mobile field force in the county of Orange and trained all the municipal agencies on mobile field force tactics and response protocols, and it’s worked very well for us. From tactics, it first starts with intelligence getting good information… There’s a huge drain on resources when you have a tactical element in reserve for a prolonged period of time, I think we agree. And there’s other resources like bomb detection canines and others that work in tandem with them that have a limited utility, that you have to replicate on a much larger platform.”

Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA) asked what security measures can be taken to keep mid-sized events secure:

“Communities like mine are hosting music events and gatherings on a regular basis. Tell me about what you’re doing at mid-sized events like that.”

Junell answered: 

“We want to make sure that we are as prepared as can be. We’re trained facilitating all the intelligence sharing and everything else through our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners and working highly in a collaborative process to make sure that we have the standards, we have a clear picture of the issues that we’re dealing with—understanding what our rules [and] responsibilities are, and then what our partners will be bringing to the table, as well, so that we have that robust resilience around the event, regardless of the size.”

###