2026 FIFA World Cup and Public Safety

A coalition of immigrant‑ and civil‑rights organizations has issued a formal travel advisory urging foreign fans to think twice before coming to Florida for 2026 FIFA World Cup matches, citing aggressive Trump‑era immigration enforcement and detention conditions at facilities like the state‑run 'Alligator Alcatraz.' Announced Thursday outside FIFA’s downtown Miami offices, the advisory says recent reporting and lawsuits show tourists, lawful residents and even U.S. citizens have been detained or removed after routine encounters with federal immigration agents and local police working under expanded enforcement partnerships championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis. While the groups stopped short of calling for an outright boycott, they warned they could do so later and advised visitors to carry identification at all times and register their trips with their consulates, saying World Cup–related security could mean heightened immigration sweeps. Organizers also linked their warning to recent fatal ICE and Border Patrol shootings of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis and new U.S. visa bans that exclude some countries’ fans, arguing that an 'every agency deputized' climate makes racial profiling and mistaken detention more likely. The move injects human‑rights concerns directly into preparations for one of the biggest sporting events ever hosted in the U.S., putting pressure on FIFA, Florida officials and DHS to spell out how immigration enforcement will be handled around match sites.