ICE director refuses to commit to pausing operations for 2026 World Cup

Acting director of ICE Todd Lyons told a congressional committee on Tuesday that his agency is “a key part of the overall security apparatus for the World Cup” and refused to commit to pausing operations near games at this summer’s tournament.

The 2026 World Cup will be hosted this summer by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, with 78 of the 104 games taking place in the US. Various entities have estimated that up to 10 million people could visit the 11 US host cities for the quadrennial tournament. However, ICE’s role in President Trump’s immigration crackdown – including an extended and widespread operation in the Minneapolis/Saint Paul metropolitan area in which two people were killed by federal agents – has raised serious concerns among fans.

Speaking before the House Committee on Homeland Security, Lyons was testifying publicly for the first time since the deaths of those two Minnesotans – Alex Pretti and Renee Good. Towards the end of a hearing marked by verbal sparring with Democratic representatives, Lyons faced questioning from Representative Nellie Pou, who represents the New Jersey’s ninth district, which encompasses MetLife Stadium, the site if the 2026 World Cup final and seven other games, including England’s group-stage finale v Panama.

After saying that visitors’ “confidence is plummeting and jeopardizing the World Cup,” Pou asked Lyons if ICE would commit to pausing operations around Fifa events.

“ICE, specifically Homeland Security Investigations, is a key part of the overall security apparatus for the World Cup,” Lyons said. “We are dedicated to securing that operation and we are dedicated to the security of all of our participants as well as visitors.”

Pou responded: “You realize that if [fans] feel they are going to be wrongfully incarcerated, wrongfully pulled out, that is going to hurt this entire process? I hope you realize that.”

Lyons responded by saying that “ICE is dedicated to ensuring everyone who visits the facilities will have a safe and secure event.”

Aside from recent actions in Minnesota, ICE and other Homeland Security agencies have draw attention for the widespread and seemingly indiscriminate nature of their arrests and detentions since the start of the crackdown. Analysis by the Guardian now shows that ICE arrests people with no criminal record significantly more often than any other category. This, along with other US foreign policy actions, have resulted in limited calls for a boycott of the tournament.

As early as last year, 2026 World Cup host city CEOs expressed concern about the “uncertainty” they said would arise from Trump’s immigration crackdown, which was then in its infancy.

ICE’s involvement in international sporting events has also been under the microscope more recently, with protests in Italy over the agency’s role at the Winter Olympics.