Immigrant rights groups across 11 US World Cup host cities are mobilising to protect fans and residents from immigration enforcement during the tournament, which begins on 11 June. More than 120 organisations have issued a travel warning to 10 million potential visitors about 'serious rights violations' under the current administration, including arbitrary denial of entry and risk of arrest, detention or deportation.
In Miami, which leads the country in immigration arrests, advocates are using a rapid response network that has been active over the past year as local police increased collaboration with ICE. The Florida Rapid Response Alliance for Immigrant Safety and Empowerment operates a hotline for reporting potential ICE activities and has a team of legal observers trained to document ICE presence. 'For us, those are two lifelines,' said Yareliz Mendez-Zamora, an organiser.
In Los Angeles, a labour union representing over 2,000 hospitality workers at SoFi Stadium is threatening to strike if ICE agents do not stay away from the venue, which is expected to draw about 70,000 fans per match. In Dallas, the civil rights group El Movimiento DFW is distributing whistle kits with information on how to obtain free consultations with immigration attorneys at churches, businesses and apartment complexes.
Despite assurances from Secretary of State Marco Rubio that ICE would not operate inside stadiums, Trump administration officials have not ruled out arrests near games. The Department of Homeland Security said it is working with partners to ensure a safe environment. Activists are bolstering rapid response networks and legal aid resources, with police in Atlanta, Seattle and Los Angeles announcing they will not cooperate with ICE in enforcement matters.
