WASHINGTON, April 23 (Reuters) – Advocacy groups issued a travel advisory on Thursday warning that visitors traveling to the U.S. for the 2026 World Cup may face arbitrary detention or deportation, among other human rights violations.
The warning, which came less than two months before the start of the sporting event in Mexico, was signed by dozens of groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union and the NAACP.
The event will take place against a widespread backdrop suppression of immigration by the Trump administration and the erosion of federal protections for racial minorities and members of the LGBTQ community.
Fans, players, journalists and other visitors could face racial profiling, searches of electronic devices or risk cruel or inhumane treatment if they end up in immigration detention centers, the advisory said.
The groups added that people from immigrant communities, racial and ethnic minority groups and LGBTQ individuals are “the most vulnerable to serious harm” when traveling to the US.
For this reason, they said, visitors should exercise caution and have a contingency plan.
“FIFA has unique leverage at this time to pressure the U.S. government to respect the fundamental human rights of all who visit and attend the games, as well as those who work and live in the 11 U.S. host cities,” the ACLU said in a statement referring to the sport’s global governing body.
“That’s why the ACLU and other members of the Dignity 2026 Coalition have urged FIFA to take action. But FIFA has not yet provided meaningful guarantees.”
The US State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In a statement, the world football body said: “Under Article 3 of the FIFA Statutes, FIFA is committed to respecting all internationally recognized human rights and will endeavor to promote the protection of these rights.”
It cited several actions and a dedicated rights advisory group as “evidence of FIFA’s commitment to human rights in all key activities and actors related to the tournament.”
Thursday’s warnings follow a statement from March Amnesty International that the tournament is drifting far from the ‘safe, free and inclusive’ event originally promised by FIFA.
The World Cup Starting in June, 104 matches will take place in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Eleven U.S. cities will host matches for the sporting event, including East Rutherford, New Jersey, just outside New York, where the championship match will be held.
