Common Questions

Does Houston have an ICE agreement for the 2026 World Cup?: Yes. Amnesty International's March 2026 report found Houston signed an ICE collaboration agreement with local law enforcement ahead of the World Cup.Source: Amnesty International
What stadium is the 2026 World Cup in Houston?: Houston World Cup matches are hosted at NRG Stadium, which also hosts the NFL's Houston Texans.
Which US World Cup host cities signed ICE agreements?: Dallas, Houston and Miami all signed ICE collaboration agreements, according to Amnesty International's March 2026 report.Source: Amnesty International
How diverse is Houston compared to other US cities?: Houston is one of the most ethnically diverse major US cities, with large Latin American, South Asian and Caribbean communities.
What is Houston population in 2026?: Houston has roughly 2.3 million residents in the city proper and approximately 7.3 million in the greater metropolitan area.

Background

Houston is the largest city in Texas and the fourth-largest in the United States, with a population of roughly 2.3 million in the city proper (7.3 million in the greater metropolitan area). It is one of the 16 host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosting matches at NRG Stadium from June 2026.

Amnesty International's March 2026 report "Humanity Must Win" identified Houston as one of three US host cities to have signed an ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) collaboration agreement with local law enforcement, alongside Dallas and Miami. Amnesty's report, published on 31 March 2026, upgraded overall tournament risk to medium-to-high and noted that no host city with an ICE agreement had published a human rights plan addressing immigration enforcement. related event

Houston has one of the most diverse populations of any major US city, with large communities from Latin America, South Asia and the Caribbean. This demographic context makes the ICE agreement particularly significant: communities with strong ties to countries affected by US travel restrictions and immigration enforcement are well-represented in the Houston metropolitan area. The ICE agreement means fans from those communities face elevated risk at World Cup matches in their own city.

How the World Sees Them

FIFA

FIFA has not addressed Houston's ICE agreement and has not required human rights plans from host cities before the tournament.

Latin American fans

Houston's large Latin American community faces a direct tension: supporting their national teams in their home city under the same enforcement regime.

Amnesty International

Houston's ICE agreement is especially significant given its diverse population; the practical risk falls disproportionately on local immigrant communities.

US federal government

ICE collaboration agreements are standard practice under the Trump administration; the World Cup has not prompted any exemption.