ICE may be at World Cup matches in U.S.

Federal officers and agents who arrest immigrants as part of their work with ICE may be at FIFA World Cup matches when the international tournament gets underway in the U.S. next month, according to two Department of Homeland Security officials.

The agency is offering its personnel to local police departments and federal agencies to provide extra security around the perimeters of games, similar to Homeland Security’s role at the Super Bowl and the Kentucky Derby, the officials said.

So far, it’s unclear whether any departments or agencies are taking ICE up on the offer. But ICE officers and agents providing security won’t be checking spectators or employees for immigration status, the officials said.

“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 2026 FIFA World Cup — in line with federal law 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 didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

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. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to attend the games.

The presence of ICE could make some spectators avoid the games. Earlier this year, ICE personnel patrolled security lines at airports amid a shortage of TSA workers during the government shutdown of DHS.

Their presence raised criticism from immigration advocacy and civil liberties organizations, who argued that ICE would intimidate travelers who feared they would be targeted for arrest.

ICE agents were also stationed outside graduation events this year for the nation’s newest Marines at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island in Beaufort County, South Carolina. While the agents didn’t make arrests, some recruits graduated without their parents in attendance over immigration fears.

Those fears follow a yearlong immigration crackdown by the Trump administration to make good on President Donald Trump’s campaign promise of mass deportations.

Newly installed Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has pushed to rebrand the agency, focusing instead on its arrests of violent criminals and its humanitarian mission, even referring to it as “NICE.”