The Trump administration has reportedly assured World Cup organisers that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers will not operate inside or around stadiums during this summer’s FIFA World Cup, easing concerns among fans, lawmakers and labour groups over possible immigration enforcement actions near tournament venues.
Rodney Barreto, co-chair of the Miami World Cup host committee, said he received personal assurances from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio that ICE agents would not be deployed 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.
The clarification follows earlier remarks by Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons, who told Congress in February that ICE, particularly its Homeland Security Investigations unit, would play a “key part” in the World Cup security operation. Lyons’ comments prompted questions from members of Congress, unions and immigrant rights advocates who warned that visible immigration enforcement near stadiums or fan zones could deter visitors and create fear among local communities.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be hosted jointly by the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, with 11 U.S. cities among the host locations. The tournament is expected to draw millions of domestic and international visitors, making security, immigration processing and crowd management major logistical priorities.
Barreto said Rubio also assured him that the federal government would help process travel documents for visitors arriving in the United States. According to Axios, officials in Houston have also been told that ICE’s security role during the tournament will not focus on immigration enforcement, but on investigative and homeland security functions such as trafficking and transnational crime.
The issue has become politically sensitive because Trump’s second administration has expanded immigration enforcement, prompting fears that World Cup venues could become flashpoints. Hospitality executives and host-city leaders have also warned that uncertainty over immigration enforcement could discourage tourism and damage the economic benefits expected from the tournament.
While the reported assurances may calm some concerns, questions remain over how immigration enforcement will be handled outside stadium perimeters, near fan zones, airports and public transport routes. For now, host officials are seeking to reassure international fans that the tournament will be focused on safety, hospitality and football—not immigration raids.
