The Trump administration has decided that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will not operate inside or around FIFA World Cup stadiums during this year's tournament, according to reports from africanews.com. This decision follows earlier controversy over the presence of ICE agents at widely attended football matches.
Previous Stance on ICE Involvement
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons had previously stated that ICE would play a “key part” in security operations surrounding the tournament, focusing primarily on homeland security investigations. However, members of the U.S. Congress and labour unions voiced fears that immigration enforcement raids could occur near stadiums or fan zones during the event.
Guarantees from Host Committee
Rodney Barreto, Co-chair of the Miami host committee, confirmed that guarantees have been given that ICE will not be present at stadiums during matches. “This is not going to turn into some ‘round them up’ type of thing. That’s not the purpose of this,” Barreto told The Athletic. He added that he had spoken with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who assured him that the federal government would help process travel documents for those arriving in the U.S.
Tournament Details
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico next summer, with more than a dozen host cities across North America. The U.S. is scheduled to host 78 matches across 11 cities, while co-hosts Canada and Mexico will each host 13 matches.
