Overview
- In early June, ICE director Tom Homan and DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin publicly confirmed that ICE will be present in host cities for the 2026 World Cup to support security operations rather than conduct mass immigration raids.
- Officials say the agency’s priorities at matches will include stopping human trafficking, drug smuggling, counterfeit goods and ticket fraud, and countering drone threats around stadiums.
- Homan warned that agents may still arrest individuals when they pose a direct threat to the event or are subjects of national-security investigations, meaning immigration status will not shield people in those cases.
- Advocacy groups have protested the agency’s presence and raised worries about workers’ and fans’ data being shared with FIFA and about localized enforcement near stadiums.
- Federal officials point to prior ICE roles at large events like the Super Bowl as precedent, but the confirmation could still affect attendance decisions, worker trust and local policing partnerships during the tournament.