How ICE and Homeland Security Will Operate at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the U.S.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup—hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico—will be one of the largest sporting events ever staged in North America. In the United States, federal authorities say agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and its investigative arm, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), will play a role in security operations during the tournament.

Officials describe the mission primarily as criminal enforcement tied to large international events. However, because immigration enforcement has not been formally suspended, questions remain about what the presence of immigration agents could mean for fans, workers, and visitors.

Federal presence during the tournament

U.S. officials say ICE and Homeland Security Investigations personnel will be deployed throughout the tournament and will participate in security operations every day of the event alongside federal, state, and local law‑enforcement partners .

Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons has told Congress that the agency will play a key role in overall World Cup security, with HSI integrated into the broader law‑enforcement effort surrounding matches and related events .

The precise operational footprint has not been fully detailed publicly. Some reporting indicates the federal government does not plan to position ICE agents inside or directly around stadiums in a routine immigration‑enforcement role, though the broader security deployment remains active across host cities and related venues .

Crimes agents say they will target

Federal officials say the focus will be crimes that commonly emerge around major international sporting events.

Investigations are expected to concentrate on:

• Human trafficking and forced labor networks
• Drug smuggling and related trafficking operations
• Counterfeit World Cup tickets
• Counterfeit merchandise and intellectual‑property crimes
• Other organized or transnational criminal activity tied to large crowds and international travel

DHS officials say the scale of the event—bringing millions of visitors to host cities—creates opportunities for criminal networks, particularly trafficking rings and counterfeit goods operations .

Within ICE, HSI is the unit that typically handles these cases. Its mandate includes investigating trafficking, smuggling, document fraud, and intellectual‑property violations rather than routine stadium policing .

Will immigration enforcement still occur?

Authorities have emphasized that immigration enforcement is not intended to be the main objective of the World Cup security mission.

For example, security planning officials connected with the Houston host committee have said immigration enforcement has not been a central topic in World Cup security meetings and is not expected to be prioritized during the tournament .

However, the government has not announced a formal suspension of immigration enforcement activities. That means ICE agents could still make immigration‑related arrests if they encounter individuals they believe are removable or connected to criminal investigations.

In practical terms, officials frame the mission as targeting criminal activity rather than conducting mass immigration sweeps, but there is no public guarantee that immigration arrests will not occur during the event .

Concerns from advocates and civil‑society groups

The federal presence has sparked debate among civil‑rights groups, immigrant‑rights advocates, and community organizations in several host cities.

More than 120 civil‑society groups issued a travel advisory ahead of the tournament warning that immigration enforcement activity could create risks for visitors, journalists, and residents in host cities .

Human Rights Watch has also called for an "ICE truce" during the World Cup, arguing that immigration enforcement during the tournament could discourage immigrants and mixed‑status families from attending games or working at related events .

Advocates point to earlier incidents at FIFA‑related events in the United States where immigration enforcement actions raised concerns about the safety of noncitizens attending matches .

Questions about transparency and planning

Another issue raised by advocates and some local officials is the limited public detail about how federal agencies will operate during the tournament.

Human Rights Watch and other observers have said FIFA and host‑city committees have not fully released plans describing how they will protect the rights of fans, workers, and journalists during the World Cup .

As a result, while authorities have outlined the broad purpose of ICE and HSI participation—combatting trafficking, smuggling, and counterfeit goods—many specifics about how operations will work in practice remain unclear.

The bottom line

Federal authorities say ICE and Homeland Security Investigations will be part of the security apparatus for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, primarily focusing on organized crime tied to large international events. The stated priorities include trafficking networks, drug smuggling, counterfeit tickets, and fake merchandise.

But because immigration enforcement has not been formally paused, the possibility of immigration‑related arrests remains one of the most closely watched—and debated—issues as the tournament approaches.