ICE set to play “a key part of the overall security for the World Cup”
Todd Lyons, ICE’s acting director, has said that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will be present at World Cup games.
Despite the controversy, the fear from the people they serve, and the cold-blooded murder of a number of American citizens, ICE will be present at the 2026 World Cup, hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico.
In the run-up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, federal security arrangements in the United States have drawn fresh scrutiny after senior officials confirmed that the nation’s immigration enforcement agency will be involved in the event’s security mix.
At a congressional hearing this week, Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons stressed that ICE, especially its investigative arm Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), will be “a key part of the overall security apparatus” for the summer’s tournament, which the U.S. is co-hosting with Canada and Mexico.
“We’re dedicated to securing that operation and to ensuring the safety of all participants and visitors,” Lyons added. “ICE is dedicated to ensuring everyone who visits the facilities will have a safe and secure event.”
Officials have framed the presence of ICE personnel as part of a broader security strategy rather than targeted immigration enforcement. The Department of Homeland Security has previously said that a host of federal agencies will contribute to what they describe as a “world-class, secure experience” for the tournament, given that millions of supporters are expected to visit US cities this summer.
Calls have been sounded for a boycott from European teams as Donald Trump has escalated tensions with his anarchic foreign policy, including attempts to annex Greenland, a part of Denmark. While nothing has come, so far, as regards a European boycott, large numbers of fans have decided that taking the trip to a country that checks 5 years of social media history before entry.
Recently, to add to tension surrounding visits, an Irishman from County Kilkenny, with a valid US work permit, married to a US citizen, and no criminal record, was held in ICE detention for five months.
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The 2026 World Cup will take place from June 11 to July 19; 78 of the 104 matches will be staged in the United States. The Guardian writes that “up to 10 million people could visit the 11 US host cities for the tournament.”
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