NGOs warn of anti-immigration raids in the US during the World Cup | OneFootball

Human rights advocacy groups warned on Wednesday that the anti-immigration policies of the United States President, Donald Trump, could overshadow the World Cup in 2026.

The warning was issued two days before the World Cup draw in Washington, which the United States will host along with Canada and Mexico, from June 11 to July 19.

Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch (HRW), and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) warned against raids outside the stadiums in the United States, which will host most of the matches in the first edition of the World Cup with 48 teams.

The NGOs urged FIFA to fulfill its promises to protect workers, fans, and journalists.

“Families, fans, players, and other members of the football community have the right to enjoy the game without fear of being detained and separated from their loved ones!” said Daniel Noroña, Advocacy Director for the Americas at Amnesty International USA, in a joint press conference.

A report by HRW published on Wednesday revealed that the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained more than 92,000 people between January and October near the cities where World Cup matches will be held.

The report points out that an asylum seeker in the United States was detained in July, before the final of the Club World Cup, held on American soil.

As part of his mass deportation campaign, Trump mobilized National Guard troops in some cities that will host games of the largest football tournament, such as Chicago and Los Angeles.

“We need FIFA, the host cities, and other entities to make it clear whether ICE, the National Guard, and other federal security forces will be present at the stadiums,” said Jennifer Li, a professor at the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington. “This is not just a hypothesis,” she added.

Minky Worden, from Human Rights Watch, expressed special concern over the American government's revocation of temporary legal protections for immigrants from Haiti, which qualified for the World Cup for the first time in over 50 years.

“These policies endanger communities and threaten to undermine the integrity of the tournament itself,” said Jamil Dakwar, director of the ACLU’s human rights program. “If measures are not taken today, FIFA risks becoming a stage for authoritarianism.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.