Immigrant rights advocates across the 11 U.S. host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup are mobilizing legal aid networks and issuing security advisories as the tournament kicks off on June 11. More than 120 civil society organizations have jointly published a travel warning targeting the 10 million visitors expected this summer, outlining the “serious rights violations” they say visitors and residents face under the current political climate. The advisory highlights the risk of arbitrary denial of entry, arrest, detention, and deportation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as the federal government continues to expand its immigration enforcement footprint.
The mobilization spans labor unions, legal coalitions, and community groups in cities ranging from Miami to Seattle. In Los Angeles, a union representing more than 2,000 hospitality workers at SoFi Stadium said it will threaten to strike if ICE agents do not stay away from the venue, which is expected to host approximately 70,000 fans per match. Organizers say the tournament, traditionally a unifying cultural event, arrives during a period of aggressive federal immigration enforcement that has already seen at least 18 people die in ICE custody this year, according to advocates.
Federal officials have offered mixed signals regarding enforcement operations during the games. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has provided assurance that ICE agents will not operate inside the stadiums themselves. However, other administration officials have declined to rule out the possibility of arrests in the vicinity of matches. The Department of Homeland Security said it is coordinating with various levels of government to secure the events. “The safety and security of the American people and the millions of visitors attending these events remain our highest priority,” said Lauren Bis, the Department of Homeland Security acting assistant secretary.
Advocacy groups say the lack of clear guarantees has forced them to prepare for worst-case scenarios. In Dallas, the civil rights group El Movimiento DFW is distributing hundreds of whistle kits containing information on how to obtain free consultations with immigration attorneys to local churches, businesses, and apartment complexes. The kits are designed for community members in case agents begin detaining people near match venues. “We know that soccer is something many in the Latino immigrant community grew up playing or watching,” said Christine Bolaños, communications director at the Workers Defense Action Fund. “These games are meant to bring people together, and we want fans to know the risks and be prepared for encounters.”
Rapid response networks are being fortified to handle real-time interactions with federal agents. Police departments in Atlanta, Seattle, and Los Angeles have announced they will not cooperate with ICE in enforcement matters following sustained pressure from community groups and local lawmakers. Separate bills introduced by Democratic lawmakers to explicitly prohibit ICE activity near World Cup matches have stalled in the GOP-controlled House. Law enforcement observers note that the massive influx of federal personnel required for tournament security expands the scope of potential enforcement actions. “When there’s a tenfold increase in the security apparatus, there’s a real risk that local residents – immigrants and non-immigrants – will be caught in the law enforcement dragnet,” said Jennifer Li, a leader of the national coalition Dignity 26.
To address the legal exposure, Li said she is connecting experienced immigration attorneys with rapid response groups across host cities. She is also working with the legal team behind Airport Lawyers to reboot a website originally created during the first Trump administration to connect volunteer attorneys with foreign nationals affected by travel restrictions. Li is additionally coordinating with the Independent Supporters Council to launch a fan embassy and resource portal that will provide workers’ rights information and immigration hotlines.
In Miami, which leads the country in immigration arrests, the Florida Rapid Response Alliance for Immigrant Safety and Empowerment is operating a hotline for communities to report potential ICE activities. The alliance, a coalition of immigrant rights groups, has also deployed a team of trained legal observers to document any ICE presence. “For us, those are two lifelines,” said Yareliz Mendez-Zamora, an organizer with the American Friends Service Coalition. “These are scary times, but also beautiful times when we’re able to work and protect each other.”
Seattle organizers, who anticipate more than 750,000 visitors for the tournament, view the international spotlight as an opportunity to publicize their demands. Working Washington, a local advocacy group, canvassed over 150 restaurants in the Capitol Hill neighborhood near the games to discuss potential ICE interactions and coordinate crisis response strategies. The group is providing Fourth Amendment training to service workers, covering their rights in public and private spaces and outlining best practices for responding if ICE attempts to detain a co-worker. CJ Garcia, co-director of organizing at Working Washington, expressed concern that the administration could use the event as a staging ground to “make an example of Seattle and other cities that have a history of supporting immigrants.” Working Washington is co-hosting a kick-off party for a national “No ICE in the Cup” campaign, which organizes ICE-free watch parties and youth soccer tournaments across all host cities.
Business owners are also organizing to protect their workforce and customer base from disruption. The West Philadelphia Corridor Collaborative, one of the city’s largest business associations, launched a canvassing drive to secure pledges from at least 65 local bars, restaurants, and nightlife establishments to serve as safe spaces for immigrants and provide critical enforcement resources. The group is simultaneously building a network of immigration attorneys who can be rapidly deployed if businesses face raids. Jabari Jones, president of the collaborative, framed the mobilization primarily as an economic development issue rather than a political one. “If you don’t see, at bare minimum, tax revenues that match the investments, you’ve created a deficit that taxpayers are on the hook for,” Jones said. “All it takes is a few high-profile incidents of people getting detained to send a message to tourists that your area doesn’t support tourism.”