More than 120 rights groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), issued a travel advisory on Thursday warning that visitors to the 2026 FIFA World Cup could face “serious rights violations” as a result of the US government’s immigration policies.
The coalition said fans, players, journalists and other travelers to World Cup matches in the United States were at risk of being affected by what it described as the Trump administration’s «draconian immigration and anti-human rights agenda.»
The group called on football’s world governing body FIFA – whose president, Gianni Infantino, has close ties to Donald Trump – to lobby the US government to guarantee the safety of all travelers to the tournament.
“FIFA has paid lip service to human rights while working with the Trump administration, putting millions of people at risk of harm and having their fundamental rights violated,” said Jamil Dakwar, director of the ACLU’s Human Rights Program.
“It is time for FIFA to use its power to enforce meaningful policy changes and binding guarantees that ensure people feel safe to travel and enjoy the matches,” he added.
The coalition advisory warned that foreign nationals visiting the United States for the World Cup face specific risks, including «arbitrary denial of entry and risk of arrest, detention or deportation; invasive social media screening and searches of electronic devices; violent and unconstitutional immigration enforcement and racial profiling.»
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The advisory also said visitors may face «suppression of speech and protest and increased surveillance; cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment – and even death» while detained by U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The majority of the World Cup matches, 78 out of 104, will take place in the United States, where the tournament is co-hosted with Canada and Mexico.
Four qualifying countries, Iran, Haiti, Senegal and Ivory Coast, may be left without their supporters due to travel bans imposed by the US government, as Donald Trump has made anti-immigration policies the centerpiece of his second term.
Washington has assured that the government’s immigration measures will not affect tourist visas and, by extension, fans with World Cup tickets.
FIFA has also introduced an accelerated consular appointment process for visa applications, but without guaranteeing that a visa will be granted.
Concerns among supporters have increased over ongoing ICE operations against undocumented immigrants.
In January, two US citizens protesting an immigration crackdown were killed by federal agents in Minneapolis, sparking widespread outrage.
Published on April 23, 2026
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