US civil rights groups issue World Cup travel advisory citing ICE and entry risks

More than 120 civil society organisations and MLS and NWSL-affiliated supporters’ groups have published a travel advisory ahead of this summer’s World Cup in the United States, urging visitors to “exercise caution and have an emergency contingency plan”.The advisory says people from immigrant communities, racial and ethnic minority groups, and LGBTQ+ individuals are “most vulnerable to serious harm” when travelling within the country, citing what it calls the Trump administration’s “rising authoritarianism and increasing violence”.Signatories include Amnesty International USA, Reporters Without Borders, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the NAACP, alongside supporters’ groups linked to MLS and NWSL clubs. Organisers said the signatories include organisations from each of the World Cup’s 11 host cities.The advisory cites 48 deaths in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody since the beginning of 2025, total or partial entry restrictions affecting visitors from 39 countries, and recent reports of ICE agents at airports.It lists six areas of concern: denial of entry and risk of detention or deportation, expanded travel limitations, social media screening and electronic device searches, discriminatory immigration enforcement including racial profiling, restrictions on speech and protest, and risks of mistreatment in immigration detention.Visitors are advised to secure electronic devices, remove sensitive information, disable facial recognition or fingerprint logins, and share detailed itineraries with friends and family.Jamil Dakwar, human rights programme director at the ACLU, said: “FIFA has been paying lip service to human rights while cozying up with the Trump administration, putting millions of people at risk of being harmed and their basic rights violated.”Jennifer Li, who leads Dignity 2026, said: “With less than two months to go, we are still waiting for public commitments from FIFA and host city organisers about plans to protect residents, workers, and visitors. The silence has been deafening.”A FIFA spokesperson pointed to its human rights strategy and related tournament documents, saying FIFA is committed to respecting internationally recognised human rights and has established an advisory group and a grievance mechanism.White House World Cup Task Force executive director Andrew Giuliani rejected the concerns, saying the administration is focused on delivering an event with “excellence, safety, and an outstanding experience for every visitor”.A White House spokesperson, Davis Ingle, also dismissed the advisory as “ridiculous scare tactics”, while US officials have said federal agencies will coordinate closely on security across host cities.Senior FIFA officials have also discussed whether Gianni Infantino could seek a suspension of ICE raids during the tournament, amid fan concerns about enforcement activity at events, which US homeland security officials have previously denied.