Honorable Gianni Infantino
Président, Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA)
[email protected]
Amy Hopfinger
Chief Strategy and Planning Officer, FIFA World Cup 2026
[email protected]
Re: Impact of DHS Presence at the World Cup on Workers
Dear Mr. Infantino and Ms. Hopfinger:
As we approach the final preparations for the World Cup and workers begin readying stadiums and communities for an influx of visitors, several of our affiliate unions have raised grave concerns over FIFA’s engagement with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Chief among those concerns is the potential for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other DHS agents to be present at and around the World Cup matches. As the AFL-CIO is a founding member of Dignity 2026, a national coalition of labor and grassroots community groups, we know concerns around the possibility of immigration enforcement are wide-reaching.
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons has previously stated that “ICE, specifically Homeland Security Investigations, is a key part of the overall security apparatus for the World Cup.”1
1 https://www.axios.com/2026/02/10/ice-2026-fifa-world-cup-lyons-trump
Despite this statement from Director Lyons, from what we have seen publicly, FIFA has largely remained silent about the role ICE will play in the games. Given the racial profiling, warrantless arrests and other unconstitutional tactics the Trump administration is using to detain and deport people with no regard for due process, our affiliate unions are deeply concerned about ICE being engaged for any purpose during the World Cup. Indeed, some unions have signaled that this would create an unsafe work environment that may require them to take collective action to ensure that no members are put at risk.
The tactics of discrimination, violence and intimidation used by immigration agencies to target working people across the country cause fear and chaos in our communities, and directly affect workers, business operations and local economies. Consequently, ICE presence in host cities during the games could cause severe disruptions and negatively affect the success of the tournament. We urge FIFA to consider the financial and human impact that collaborating with DHS could have on the working people who make these games possible, not to mention on local businesses, host cities and communities, and FIFA itself. The games should be a welcoming and celebratory event for spectators, workers and soccer enthusiasts of all backgrounds.
To ensure the success and positive legacy of this tournament, we are asking FIFA to publicly call on the administration to commit to keeping immigration enforcement agents, particularly ICE, out of host cities. We demand that FIFA publicly clarify what role DHS will play, with the expectation that any DHS presence at FIFA events be strictly limited to providing operational security in accordance with the Special Event Assessment Rating framework. Specifically, we seek confirmation that the administration will not launch immigration enforcement operations targeting workers, spectators or the general public anywhere in the host cities.
Additionally, unions have raised concerns over the accreditation and background check process that FIFA will be using to credential workers during the games. It is our understanding that FIFA will be submitting worker information through an FBI database. We call on FIFA to ensure that unions representing members at World Cup stadiums receive clear answers and open dialogue to all questions about this process.
Given the ways in which federal agencies are violating workers’ privacy rights to build datasets to support unconstitutional immigration enforcement activity, and FIFA’s relative silence on the scope and implications of these checks, we are asking you to commit to working with unions so that they can fully understand the process to which their members will be subjected and ensure that workers’ privacy and safety are respected. Specifically, we seek assurances from FIFA that no information reported in these checks will be shared with any constituent part of DHS that engages in immigration enforcement or used for immigration enforcement purposes.
Union members working in stadiums, hotels, event production, transportation and many other industries will be critical to the success of these games. They deserve respect, dignity and safety on the job so they in turn can provide a safe and welcoming environment for all players and fans. FIFA must be transparent about its plans for engaging with DHS and the administration so that workers can do their jobs without fear and provide the best possible World Cup experience for neighbors and visitors alike.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Shuler
President, AFL-CIO