FIFA Club World Cup: Are immigration authorities working security at Orlando matches?
Federal immigration authorities may be part of the security forces at Orlando venues as the FIFA Club World Cup kicks off on Tuesday. But so far, officials at all levels haven't given a straight answer.
The quadrennial event is expected to draw thousands of soccer fans to matches at Camping World Stadium and Inter&Co Stadium between some of the biggest clubs in the world, including European powerhouses Liverpool and Juventus. The tournament is being held in 11 cities across the U.S. until July 13.
In a now-deleted social media post, United States Customs and Border Protection exclaimed its agents would be 'suited and booted ready to provide security for the first round of games', specifically mentioning the tournament's kickoff Saturday in Miami.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement also told a Miami television station that its agents would be at the contest at Hard Rock Stadium and that all non-American citizens should carry proof of legal status.
Both agencies are entities within the Department of Homeland Security and are primarily responsible for carrying out President Donald Trump's mass deportation agenda.
While the administration has said it was going after the 'worst of the worst' undocumented immigrants – presumably those with violent felony records – in recent weeks, administration officials have pushed the agencies to vastly increase their arrest numbers, seeking to reach 3,000 per day.
The games in Orlando are expected to include clubs from South Korea, Brazil, Portugal, New Zealand, England, Italy, South Africa and Mexico.
The first scheduled match is June 17 at Inter&Co Stadium between Ulsan HD of South Korea vs. Mamelodi Sundowns FC of South Africa.
A spokesperson for the City of Orlando said neither City Hall nor the police department knew if federal authorities would be on hand. A spokesperson for Florida Citrus Sports directed questions to the city.
A FIFA spokesperson didn't respond to questions, nor did a spokesperson for ICE.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino was asked this week about the potential presence of immigration officials at a media event in Miami, to which he said he wasn't worried.
'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,' he said, according to NBC 6.
A spokesman for Customs didn't directly answer a question from the Orlando Sentinel about whether the agency would be in Orlando, but said it isn't uncommon for the agency to work security as part of massive sporting events.
'U.S. Customs and Border Protection is committed to working with our local and federal partners to ensure the FIFA Club World Cup 26 is safe for everyone involved, as we do with every major sporting event, including the Super Bowl,' the agency said in an unsigned statement. 'Our mission remains unchanged.'
A follow-up question about whether that included immigration enforcement did not receive a response.
rygillespie@orlandosentinel.com
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