Civil Rights Groups Issue Grave Warning for World Cup Visitors to the U.S.

The Trump administration may pose a threat to fans coming to the United States this summer, per civil rights groups.

President Donald Trump has intensified his immigration policies in his second term. | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

As the 2026 FIFA World Cup draws closer, with less than 50 days to kickoff across North America, more than 120 different civilian society organizations and soccer fan groups have issued a grave warning to those planning to travel to the U.S. this summer for soccer’s grandest event.

The organizations—which include the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Amnesty International USA and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)—issued a travel advisory on Thursday, urging fans, players, journalists and other visitors traveling to one of the 11 different host cities in the U.S. to exercise caution and to have an emergency contingency plan “in light of the deteriorating human rights situation in the United States and in the absence of meaningful action and concrete guarantees from FIFA, host cities, or the U.S. government.”

The travel advisory specifically referenced President Donald Trump’s intensified immigration policies via the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since he took office for his second term in January 2025. It referred to his policies as “violent and abusive” and noted that as a result of them, those from immigrant communities and racial and ethnic minority groups are among those most disproportionately targeted by the administration and, thus, the “most vulnerable to serious harm when traveling to and/or within the United States.” The advisory also noted that members of the LGBTQ community are at a higher risk due to Trump’s policies.

The warning comes amid an unprecedented expansion of migrant detention centers across the U.S. since Trump’s inauguration, which includes more than 220 sites, with plans for more as ICE has received $85 million in new funding ($45 million specifically for expending detention centers over the next four years), per a March report from NPR. That now makes ICE the highest-funded law enforcement agency in the nation. ICE has also previously stated it will play a “key part” in World Cup security, per The Athletic.

The nation has had more than 750,000 ICE detainees since January 2025, with more than 72,000 being held in centers as of this January, up by over 75% from the roughly 40,000 people held in detention centers prior to Trump’s presidency.

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Potential Risks and Harms, Per the Travel Advisory

The travel advisory elaborated on six separate risks and harms that individuals may encounter at the World Cup, claiming all are “in breach of the United States’ human rights obligations under domestic and international law” :

• Arbitrary denial of entry and risk of arrest, detention and/or deportation of non-U.S. nationals, even those with prior authorization from the U.S. government.
• Expanded restrictions and limitations on travel and entry into the United States.

The advisory claims that transgender and nonbinary people could be denied entry into the U.S. if traveling with visas that do not use their sex assigned at birth. The Trump administration has also fully restricted or limited the entry of nationals from 19 countries. Concerns also include:

• Invasive social media screening and searches of electronic devices as part of admission to the United States.
• “Violent and unconstitutional” immigration law enforcement, including racial profiling and other discrimination by law enforcement.

The travel advisory states that the U.S. government has instituted electronic screenings for certain visa applicants, requiring individuals to make their social media accounts public for review by the State Department.

The advisory also reports that more than 50 people have died in ICE custody since 2025, including 14 since the start of the calendar year. It lists potential risks as:

• “Suppression” of speech and protest and increased surveillance.
• Serious risk of “cruel, inhuman or degrading” treatment, and in some cases, death, while in immigration detention facilities or custody.

The organizations advise visitors to remove sensitive information from their electronic devices, including facial recognition and fingerprint passcodes, and to alert any loved ones of travel plans, including dates and destinations.

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FIFA, White House Response to Travel Advisory Warning

President Donald Trump (left) and Gianni Infantino have a strong relationship. | Tasos Katopodis/FIFA/Getty Images

“As per article 3 of the FIFA Statutes, FIFA is committed to respecting all internationally recognized human rights and shall strive to promote the protection of these rights,” a FIFA spokesperson said in a public statement.

FIFA also said its development of human rights strategies and frameworks, as well as an advisory group “are all evidence of FIFA’s commitment to human rights across all key activities and actors connected to the tournament.”

The White House has also spoken out to ensure the safety of the tournament for visitors.

“Under President Trump’s leadership, the White House World Cup Task Force has worked relentlessly to ensure the 2026 World Cup will be the most incredible sporting event in U.S. history,” said Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the task force.

“Our commitment to excellence, safety, and an outstanding experience for every visitor is unmatched. As a global leader in human rights, the United States is prepared to welcome eager travelers from around the world to celebrate the World Cup and America’s 250th birthday together. Our preparations are on track to support FIFA in delivering the greatest World Cup ever! These absurd claims cannot change the reality that the United States is fully prepared to set a new standard for international sporting events.”

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