Will ICE Create a Human Rights Nightmare at the FIFA World Cup?

Human rights groups warn the Trump admin's promise that DHS agents will play a 'key' role in security during the tournament could lead to immigration round-ups and abuse.

Sofi Stadium workers, including cooks, bartenders, dishwashers, servers, and cashiers, protest outside the stadium, ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Inglewood, California, on May 18, 2026. Photo by Frederic Brown/ AFP via Getty Images

The world’s leading human rights groups are generally associated with tireless crusades against state-sanctioned violence and political persecution. But some of them are sounding the alarm about an entirely different danger: the risk that attendees at the FIFA World Cup this summer could face detention or expulsion by U.S. authorities.