Fans may have to prove migration status at World Cup-linked match
Fans attending the inaugural FIFA World Club Cup match in Miami have been told to carry proof they are in the country legally.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will be at the Hard Rock Stadium where Inter Miami, whose team includes Lionel Messi, will be playing against Egypt's Al Ahly on Saturday.
Fear among fans was heightened when CBP said on social media that its officers would be 'suited and booted' at the fixture, before deleting the post.
'They are insisting that attendees bring proof of legal status to the games,' Thomas Kennedy, deputy director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition, told The Telegraph.
'It would be logistically a nightmare to check immigration status as a single person. They could be checking randomly, or it could just be general guidance to tell people to bring their immigration status.
'The problem is of clarity superimposed on the political tension gripping the country.
'This just provokes more tension,' he added.
'I would certainly say that people have to be wary and cautious.'
NBC Florida also reported that fans could be asked to prove their immigration status on Saturday.
CBP has confirmed it will be at all the matches. ICE declined to comment on its deployment plans.
Ostensibly, both organisations will be on hand to provide added security at a major sporting event, as they have in the past.
But such is the mistrust of ICE many fans are staying away.
'What I can tell you is there are multiple reports and stats tracking how overseas travel to the United States has already plummeted since the beginning of the year because of the action by the current administration,' Mr Kennedy added.
'And FIFA has had to lower prices for these club World Cup tickets a couple of times.'
With more than 70 per cent of the Miami population being Hispanic, the presence of ICE at the inaugural game is particularly sensitive.
'The presence of ICE, CBP and other law enforcement agencies at major sporting events is not unusual,' John Sandweg, who was acting director of ICE from August 2013 to February 2014, told The Telegraph.
But sounding a note of caution, he added: 'I could see them maybe potentially looking at something like this as an opportunity to do a lot of enforcement.
'On the other hand, I think the administration is obviously promoting the World Cup. And wants these things to be a success, and it's certainly not lost on ICE.
'If there's a perception out there that they're going to be doing enforcement operations at events like this, it can really depress attendance. And it can really just scare people off, not just people who are immigrants.'
Tension was further heightened earlier this week when the US coastguard boarded a boat taking people – including the mayor of Miami Dade – to a World Cup party and checked the immigration status of staff on board.
Another potential flashpoint is on Monday when LAFC, one of the leading teams in the USA, whose supporters have been vocal in their opposition to ICE, plays Chelsea in Atlanta.
Against the backdrop of the National Guard being called in to quell violent anti-ICE protests in the club's home city of Los Angeles, feelings have been running high.
Fans displayed banners calling for ICE's abolition, and, somewhat pointedly, they have been backed by the club, which wrote on social media that it stood 'shoulder to shoulder with all members of our community'.
Gianni Infantino, FIFA's president, played down the potential problems at a press conference earlier this week.
'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 thing 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.'
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