U.S. May Conduct Immigration Raids During 2026 FIFA World Cup

(FILE) U.S. President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced that the 2026 FIFA World Cupdraw will take place in Washington, D.C. Photo: The White House.

December 4, 2025 Hour: 7:01 am

The Executive Director of the White House task force for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Andrew Giuliani, said Wednesday that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is not ruling out carrying out immigration raids or detentions during next year’s tournament.

The announcement came during a press conference in Washington, just two days before the official World Cup draw. The tournament will be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19 next year.

“He [President Trump] is not going to rule out anything that can make the area safer,” Giuliani said.

When asked whether visitors planning to attend the World Cup could be denied visas, Giuliani responded that every visa decision is a national security decision for the U.S. Government. He noted that Trump and FIFA had announced that anyone holding a match ticket would be guaranteed an appointment with immigration authorities to process a visa.

The situation comes amid a rise in detentions of Latin Americans across several U.S. cities. In June, a coalition of community groups protested outside FIFA’s Miami offices, urging the government to refrain from “excessive immigration enforcement” during the tournament.

Human Rights Organizations Speak Up

Giuliani’s remarks sparked concern among groups such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which warned of possible raids outside stadiums and urged FIFA to uphold its commitments to protecting workers, fans, and journalists.

A Human Rights Watch report revealed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained more than 92,000 people between January and October this year near World Cup host cities. The report also documented the case of an asylum seeker detained in July ahead of the Club World Cup final.

Minky Worden of Human Rights Watch expressed particular concern about the removal of temporary legal protections for migrants from Haiti, a country that has qualified for the World Cup for the first time in more than 50 years.

Jamil Dakwar, director of the ACLU’s Human Rights Program, warned: “The Trump administration is escalating dangerous policies which put immigrant communities, foreign visitors and residents at risk. The perception and impression that you get is that FIFA is dragging itself into becoming part of a public relations tool to normalize an increasingly authoritarian US government.”

Organizations also raised concerns about access for foreign journalists and protections for workers and fans against abuse and discrimination. They pointed to incidents in July, including homophobic chants recorded during a Club World Cup match in Atlanta, as evidence of the need for preventive measures.

As part of his deportation campaign, Trump has deployed National Guard troops to cities such as Chicago and Los Angeles—both World Cup host cities.