FIFA and Infantino could ask Donald Trump to suspend ICE raids during the World Cup

Martin Macdonald

• 15 Apr 2026 13:01 CDT
• 5 min read

News

Senior officials at FIFA have reportedly asked Gianni Infantino to request that United States President Donald Trump suspend ICE raids for the duration of the 2026 World Cup.

The next World Cup takes place over June and July this summer in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Amnesty International previously detailed "significant risks" to fans, players, journalists, workers and local communities during the World Cup. The main cause for concern for Amnesty is the violence on the streets of the USA that has been caused by Trump's deployment of Immigration and Customs agents throughout the country.

In January, two American citizens were shot and killed by ICE agents - Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, Minnesota. According to data from the Washington Post, ICE officers arrested 1,000 people per day in the six week's after Pretti's death and that 42% of those had no criminal record.

Pointing to "troubling attacks on human rights", Amnesty claims the "starkest threat" to visitors to the World Cup may be "the machine of abusive, discriminatory and deadly immigration enforcement and mass detention in the USA".

The Athletic reports that FIFA could ask Trump for a "moratorium" on all ICE raids while the World Cup is taking place.

ICE acting director, Todd Lyons, previously said the organisation would play a “key part” in security for the World Cup and this could include presence at matches as well as at airports, with the latter happening because of a partial government shutdown which has led to concerns over TSA staffing.

Ha Nguyen McNeill, the head of TSA, told the United States Congress that ICE agents were performing “non-specialised screening functions” and have been “incredibly helpful to alleviate the burden on our workforce”.

There are concerns from some FIFA member nations, particularly from Europe, that ICE raids will take place near venues hosting matches.

Infantino to intervene?

Certain officials at FIFA are hoping that Infantino can use his strong relationship with Trump to halt such raids when World Cup fans are in the United States.

Infantino was present at Trump's inauguration and even gifted the president FIFA's first ever 'Peace Prize' at the World Cup group stage draw in December.

The Athletic reports that Infantino was "receptive" to the concerns so it may be the case that he looks to speak with Trump about ICE involvement in the tournament.

There was reportedly a similar agreement in place during the Club World Cup last summer that saw ICE raids minimised near fixtures, though some officers were apparently seen during matches.

Asked to comment for this story, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle dodged answering directly: “Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, the FIFA World Cup 2026 will be one of the greatest and most spectacular events in the history of mankind, right here in the United States of America. This event will generate billions of dollars of economic impact and bring hundreds of thousands of jobs to our country. The president is focused on making this the greatest World Cup ever while ensuring it is the safest and most secure in history.”

In its 36-page report titled 'Humanity Must Win: Defending rights, tackling repression at the 2026 FIFA World Cup', Amnesty called on the USA, Canada and Mexico to "meet their obligations under international human rights law, while Fifa, national FAs and sponsors all have clear responsibilities to respect human rights…"

"The US government has deported more than 500,000 people from the USA in 2025, more than six times as many people than will watch the World Cup final in the MetLife Stadium", said Amnesty's head of economic and social justice Steve Cockburn.

"It's a deeply troubling time in the US, which will certainly extend to fans who want to take part in World Cup celebrations."

Police and the national guard have been deployed to Democratic cities who are protesting against ICE agents which has let to violent confrontations with the public.

"Despite the astounding numbers of arrests and deportations, neither Fifa nor the US authorities have provided any guarantees that fans and local communities will be safe from ethnic and racial profiling, indiscriminate raids, or unlawful detention and deportation," said Cockburn.

"Only four of the 16 host cities have so far published their human rights plans, and none of those that have done so to date say anything about protection from abusive immigration enforcement.

"This World Cup is no longer the 'medium risk' tournament that Fifa once judged it to be - whether it is to protect people from ICE, guarantee the right to protest or prevent homelessness, urgent action is needed to make sure the reality of this World Cup matches its original promise."

Amnesty says that ICE and other agencies "pose a chilling threat to people living in the US, those traveling to see a game, and players themselves".

The deployment of ICE agents is one of a number of controversial issues that currently surround the World Cup, which you can read about HERE.