ICE
US federal immigration enforcement agency operating at World Cup venues.
Last refreshed: 10 April 2026
Will immigration enforcement at US World Cup venues deter fans from attending?
Latest on ICE
- Will there be immigration enforcement at World Cup stadiums?
- ICE acting director Todd Lyons told Congress that ICE will be part of the security apparatus and declined to rule out enforcement near venues. Dallas, Houston, and Miami have signed ICE collaboration agreements.Source: Congressional testimony
- Can undocumented immigrants attend the World Cup safely?
- Three US cities have ICE collaboration agreements. Vancouver has explicitly excluded ICE. The enforcement environment varies by host city.Source: Amnesty International Humanity Must Win report
Background
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the US federal agency responsible for immigration enforcement. Acting director Todd Lyons told Congress in March 2026 that ICE would be a "key part of the overall security apparatus" for the World Cup and declined to rule out enforcement near venues.
Three US host cities (Dallas, Houston, Miami) have signed ICE collaboration agreements with local law enforcement, as documented in Amnesty International's "Humanity Must Win" report published 31 March. By contrast, Vancouver Police chief explicitly confirmed that ICE would not be deployed in Vancouver.
The two-tier enforcement environment creates a documented split: Canadian host cities operate under different rules from their US counterparts. Three House Democrats introduced bills to ban ICE enforcement near World Cup venues; all face near-certain defeat in the Republican-controlled Congress.