In Seattle, the Seahawks' barber is heading to the Super Bowl, and the city is gripped by protests against immigration policy. The mayor unveiled a plan to limit ICE raids, sparking a clash with federal authorities.
Seahawks barber heads to the Super Bowl: a haircut as part of the ritual
Overview: In the run-up to the NFL’s biggest game of the season, it’s not just players and coaches preparing for the championship battle. For many Seattle Seahawks players, a key part of the pregame ritual has become getting a haircut from their trusted barber. Efren Garibay, a barber from Tacoma, will officially join the team in Santa Clara to ensure players look sharp and receive moral support before taking the field at the 2026 Super Bowl.
In professional sports, where every detail matters, even a perfect haircut can be part of the winning mindset. Efren Garibay, owner of West Coast Barber Lounge in Tacoma, has proven this in practice. Having earned the trust of Seahawks players with his precise lines and flawless fades, he received an invitation to accompany the team to California for the season’s decisive game — the Super Bowl. As reported by FOX 13 Seattle, this is Garibay’s first experience of this kind in his career, and he views it not merely as a job but as carrying out a special mission.
Garibay, who normally does 11–12 haircuts a day, emphasizes that his role goes far beyond ordinary barbering. “It’s not just haircuts, because almost anyone can cut hair. What matters are the conversations you have with the guys,” he says. In the barber’s chair a special bond forms: players value not only technical skill but the chance to take their minds off things and talk about life, not just football. A simple question like “How are you?” sometimes means more to them than discussing tactics.
Garibay’s path to the team began with player Ernest Jones, who first came to him before the season opener. Requests from other club stars followed, such as J.S.N. (Jaxon Smith-Njigba), Byron Murphy, Nyckemori Emmanuori and D’Anthony Bell. The barber attributes his success to attention to detail and a passion for his craft, which he calls a true art. He has five years of experience and several professional awards that attest to his skills.
Interestingly, Garibay’s career did not start in a barbershop: he admits he first picked up clippers while serving time in prison. That experience, he says, helped him find his calling. Now his craft helps the team not only to look “razor-sharp” but to feel confident. Players told him from the start of the season about their goal to reach the Super Bowl, and Garibay believes they have taken that goal especially seriously.
In early February the barber will travel to Santa Clara, where he will support the players up through the game itself. His presence symbolizes unity and attention to the small details that create a championship spirit. In a world where psychological preparation is often as important as physical training, a trusted barber becomes an integral part of the team. For the Seahawks, the perfect haircut is not just aesthetics but a ritual that sets the tone for victory in the biggest game of the year.
National shutdown: how protests against ICE paralyzed business in Seattle
On Friday dozens of shops and restaurants in the Seattle area closed their doors or pledged portions of their proceeds, joining a nationwide protest called the “National Shutdown.” Organized by the political movement 50501, the action targets the immigration policies of the Trump administration and, specifically, the actions of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The protest slogan — “No work. No school. No shopping. Stop funding ICE” — calls for an economic boycott to pressure the federal government to withdraw ICE agents from Minneapolis and other cities across the country.
The initiative follows a mass strike in Minneapolis on January 23, when hundreds of businesses shuttered and thousands of residents took to the streets in protest of ICE. The next day after that action federal agents killed Alex Pretty, and on January 7 a 37-year-old Minneapolis resident, Rene Nicole Good, was killed by an ICE agent. In the Puget Sound region the action was backed by organizations such as the Democrats of the 43rd District, Central Washington Resistance, and the Seattle Green Party. More than 70 Seattle restaurants coordinated by Spice Waala will donate a portion of their revenue to Minneapolis businesses so those businesses could afford to close on Friday. Some participants also handed out ICE warning whistles and informational brochures about rights to patrons.
Among the closed establishments were the popular downtown Seattle restaurant Ludi’s, typically busy on weekends, and Pasta Casalinga at Pike Place Market. Hood Famous Bakeshop in the Chinatown neighborhood also announced its closure, adding on Instagram: “If you are an ICE employee or supporter, our doors are closed to you every day.” Deep Sea Sugar & Salt bakery in Georgetown, The Plant Store in White Center, and the Glasswing boutique on Capitol Hill also joined the action. Other businesses that remained open directed funds to local activists. For example, well-known bakery The Flour Box will donate all weekend profits to the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project and the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, while the Capitol Hill music venue Neumos will donate $1 from every drink sold to the same organizations.
Some establishments, like South Fork Baking Company in Everett, closed on Friday and will donate 25% of gross revenue on Saturday and Sunday, doubling that amount through owner contributions. In a statement, the owner noted that the business is in an “extremely privileged position to be able to close and double donations,” expressing support for those who remain open out of necessity or to provide comfort for customers. Individual spaces, such as the vintage shop Hoste in West Seattle or the climbing gym Uplift Climbing in Shoreline, stayed open but refrained from commercial activity, providing space for creating protest materials like signs and whistles. As reported in The Seattle Times, many other businesses voiced solidarity with the protest but admitted they could not afford to lose a day’s revenue, highlighting the economic risks associated with such actions.
ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) is the U.S. federal agency responsible for immigration enforcement and customs operations, whose methods, especially under the Trump administration, have been frequently criticized for harshness and human rights violations. Actions like the “National Shutdown” demonstrate growing civic activism, where small businesses use their resources to support social movements even at the cost of temporary financial losses. However, such involvement also reveals inequality: not all businesses can afford to close, creating tension between economic necessity and political convictions. These protests reflect a broader context of the struggle for immigration reform and opposition to policies that activists say lead to violence and injustice.
Seattle mayor’s plan to limit immigration raids sparks intense political confrontation
Seattle officials have entered an open clash with the U.S. federal government after unveiling a plan that significantly restricts immigration enforcement operations within the city. Mayor Jenny Durkan’s initiative — aimed at protecting migrants’ rights — was immediately and harshly criticized by the Department of Homeland Security, which called it “legally illiterate.” The situation exposes a deep split between Democratic city administrations and the Republican federal government ahead of the presidential election.
Mayor of Seattle Jenny Durkan presented a plan that would bar federal agents from using city property to conduct operations to detain undocumented immigrants. In addition, Seattle police are instructed to log all reports of immigration raids and to record any such incidents on patrol car cameras and officers’ body-worn cameras. As Police Chief Adrian Diaz said, the goal is to ensure safety for all residents, regardless of immigration status, and to maintain trust in the community. But the federal response was immediate and sharp. In a statement to KIRO Newsradio, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson accused Durkan of populism and questioned the legitimacy of her actions, citing the U.S. Constitution. Specifically, he referenced Articles I and II of the Constitution and the Supremacy Clause, which he said clearly establish the federal government’s exclusive responsibility for immigration control. This legal principle means federal laws take precedence over state and local laws when they conflict.
The impetus for the mayor’s decisive actions were the alarming events in Minneapolis, where, according to Durkan, there has been a surge in calls to hotlines from families who are afraid to go to work and pay rent because of fear of immigration raids. “We are shocked and heartbroken by the news out of Minneapolis and share the growing fear that our city could also be targeted by federal action,” the mayor said. Seattle City Attorney Nicole Thomas-Kennedy also expressed solidarity with Minnesota, calling the federal agents’ tactics “reckless” and warning that Seattle must prepare for similar actions. Durkan’s plan also includes a “Stand Together Seattle” initiative urging private property owners to demand a warrant from federal agents before allowing access to their premises, and a citywide audit aimed at limiting data-sharing with federal authorities.
However, the plan met resistance within the city. Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG) president Mike Solan sharply criticized the initiative in an interview on The Jason Rantz Show on Seattle’s KIRO-affiliated station, saying police were being used as “political pawns.” He stressed that he would not support directives that deviate from official policy or the law, expressing concern about the difficult position law enforcement agencies face nationwide. This internal division highlights the complexity of balancing protection of vulnerable communities, compliance with federal law, and maintaining functioning local public safety forces. The conflict in Seattle is a vivid example of the broader national struggle over sanctuary cities and immigration enforcement methods, which, it appears, will only intensify in the months ahead.
