What FIFA said about ICE operations at Club World Cup matches
What FIFA said about ICE operations at Club World Cup matches
The FIFA Club World Cup is set to kick off at a time when the U.S. is actively deploying military personnel to confront protestors and assist in immigration enforcement. It's the kind of situation that reasonably would have fans wary about attending the event.
And it will be impossible to ignore as ICE and CBP agents will have a presence at the actual Club World Cup venues.
According to NBC Miami, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed that ICE agents will be at Hard Rock Stadium for Saturday's opener. Though the department claimed it would be there to provide additional security, ICE did include an ominous reminder "that all non-American citizens need to carry proof of their legal status."
FIFA president Gianni Infantino was asked about the prospect of ICE agents carrying out immigration operations at Club World Cup matches, and Infantino did not see a problem with it — emphasizing the need for security.
He said:
"No, I don't have any concerns about anything in the sense that we are very attentive on any security question. Of course, the most important for us is to guarantee security for all the fans who come to the games. This is our priority. This is the priority of all the authorities who are here. And we want everyone who comes to the games to pass a good moment."
He also added that he didn't want anyone to come to the games and create problems. Hard Rock Stadium was notably the scene of the ugly situation at the 2024 Copa America final where fans breached gates for Argentina's win over Colombia. Police and stadium personnel were so overwhelmed that they stopped checking tickets and ultimately closed the gates.
Infantino wants to avoid that situation, sure, but immigration enforcement at the stadium doesn't work towards that goal.
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