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On Thursday, a coalition of immigrant and civil rights groups issued a cautionary travel advisory, urging international visitors to rethink their plans to attend FIFA World Cup matches in Florida. The warning highlights concerns over the state’s stringent immigration enforcement measures and detention facilities, notably referred to as “Alligator Alcatraz,” that could impact travelers in the Sunshine State.
The advisory strongly recommends that fans from abroad keep identification documents handy and register their travel details with their home country’s consulate prior to arriving in the U.S. for the tournament, which is set to commence in June.
According to the alert, recent reports and legal challenges have revealed an increase in incidents where tourists, lawful residents, and even American citizens have found themselves detained, interrogated, or held in immigration detention, sometimes being deported following interactions with federal immigration authorities or local law enforcement cooperating through extensive immigration agreements. The statement particularly noted enforcement activities in Florida, influenced by Governor Ron DeSantis’ policies encouraging local police to work alongside federal immigration officials.
The groups further highlighted claims that incidents have occurred involving the detention of tourists or even U.S. citizens.
This advisory from immigrant and civil rights organizations serves as a warning to foreign visitors contemplating travel to Florida for the FIFA World Cup matches. (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
In a press conference outside FIFA’s downtown offices near Miami, the groups said they were not calling for a boycott, but they would not take it off the table in the future as fans prepare to visit the city.
“We’re using this opportunity to really urge visitors and tourists to have a calculated move about whether or not they’re going to come,” Yareliz Mendez-Zamora, coordinator for American Friends Service Committee, a social justice and humanitarian nonprofit, said at the press conference.
Others, including former FIFA President Sepp Blatter, have warned fans against traveling to the U.S. for the games over the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
The coalition warned that travelers could face increased enforcement during what they described as an aggressive immigration crackdown under the current administration.
“We’re just warning people of the risks … under an environment where every, not just law enforcement agency but state agency, has been deputized to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement,” said Thomas Kennedy of the Florida Immigrant Coalition.
The advisory suggested fans visiting from other countries carry IDs and register travel with their consulate before coming to the U.S. for the tournament. (Christopher Dilts/Getty Images)
“What we don’t want is our fans being harassed by immigration enforcement when they’re just trying to attend the game,” Kennedy continued, adding that he wanted “assurances that there won’t be immigration enforcement happening at these games indiscriminately.”
Dariel Gomez, a field organizer for the ACLU of Florida, said the groups were not aiming to spread fear or panic but to “offer a sobering reality check” that some people may face racial profiling or be detained.
“Because of these programs a simple traffic stop here in Miami is no longer just a routine interaction, for too many people a simple interaction by police now comes with the fear of deportation,” Gomez said.
The groups also raised concerns about the recent instances in Minneapolis in which federal immigrant agents fatally shot two U.S. citizens, as well as the federal government’s new travel bans. The Trump administration included some exceptions to the ban for players, coaches and their families, but Haiti and Iran were not covered. Foreign spectators, media and corporate sponsors who wish to attend the events would still be impacted by the ban unless they qualify for another exemption.
The coalition cited enforcement actions in Florida and Gov. Ron DeSantis’ moves to have local police partner with federal immigration officials. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Getty Images)
FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who awarded the inaugural “FIFA Peace Prize” to President Donald Trump in December, previously said that “fans from all over the world will be welcome.”
The White House has also created a FIFA task force, which includes Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is a native of Miami.
In December, the White House did not rule out whether immigration raids were possible around the soccer matches this summer, in which seven are scheduled for South Florida.