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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers may be deployed to provide security at FIFA World Cup matches in the U.S. next month. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials stated that the agency has offered its personnel to local and federal law enforcement to assist with perimeter security, a standard procedure for major events like the Super Bowl. While it is not yet clear if the offer has been accepted, officials emphasized that agents would not be screening spectators or employees for immigration status.
“Our agents and officers are going to provide security when asked, but they will not be screening people for immigration status,” one of the officials said, adding that whether the ICE officers wear uniforms would depend on each location.
A spokesperson for DHS said in a statement that the department “will work with our local and federal partners to secure the 2026 FIFA World Cup — in line with federal law and the U.S. Constitution — as we do with every major sporting event, while showcasing American greatness to the entire world.”
The DHS spokesperson said international visitors legally in the U.S. for the games “have nothing to worry about.”
"What makes someone a target for immigration enforcement is whether or not they are illegally in the U.S. — full stop,” the spokesperson said.
Still, visitors coming for games from other countries should work on travel plans and documents ahead of time for smoother travel, the spokesperson said.
But ICE personnel haven’t been expressly prohibited from making arrests at World Cup matches, the officials said.
No guidance has gone out inside the agency instructing ICE officers engaged in immigration enforcement to steer clear of World Cup stadiums, they said.
FIFA is staging its largest-ever World Cup in North America, with 48 soccer teams playing in 16 cities across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The tournament runs from June 11 through July 19; the opener is in Mexico City, and the final is July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
