DHS chief says ICE will deploy daily at World Cup venues

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin confirmed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations agents will be deployed daily at FIFA World Cup 2026 venues across the United States, marking one of the largest federal law enforcement mobilizations for a sporting event in American history.

"ICE and HSI are going to be out there every day fighting against the counterfeit tickets, human trafficking, drug smuggling, counterfeit products," Mullin said in a video posted to ICE's official account on X. The statement comes less than three weeks before the 48-team tournament kicks off on June 11 across 11 U.S. host cities, with additional matches in Mexico and Canada.mexc+1

Focus on Criminal Activity, Not Mass Arrests

DHS officials have sought to frame the deployment around public safety rather than the administration's broader immigration enforcement agenda. In a CBS News interview earlier this month, Mullin said the agency would not be at the World Cup to "round up mass individuals" but would continue "looking for the worst of the worst".cbsnews

When pressed on whether ICE would avoid all immigration enforcement at the tournament, Mullin left the door open. "ICE always says immigration enforcement. We're always going to do that. But we're not there for solely that purpose," he told CBS News.cbsnews

ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons told Congress in February that the agency would be a "crucial" part of the tournament's security framework. A DHS spokesperson told The Hill News Corp ↘ 0.33% that "international guests who enter the United States legally for the World Cup need not be concerned," adding that the determining factor for enforcement "is whether an individual is unlawfully residing in the U.S. — period".nytimes+1

Concerns From Workers and Rights Groups

The announcement has drawn resistance. Workers at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, represented by UNITE HERE Local 11, threatened to strike if ICE agents are deployed at the venue during matches. Anti-trafficking organizations have warned that the event's massive demand for labor and services could increase the risk of forced labor and sexual exploitation.fincen+2

In Houston, the local host committee's security chief told Axios that immigration enforcement "has not been a topic of discussion" in planning sessions with federal agencies. "It's a unified focus on World Cup safety, from the White House down to the city level," Tommy Calabro said. A Miami host committee co-chair separately said Secretary of State Marco Rubio personally assured him ICE would not be present inside stadiums.axios

The ambiguity has left host cities, workers, and prospective attendees uncertain about what the federal presence will look like when the tournament begins on June 11.