Immigration and Customs Enforcement will be at the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the tournament is slated to make several stops in the United States, confirmed Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin in an interview with CBS News.
Mullin confirmed ICE would be at the global sporting event in an interview released by CBS News on May 13. Mullin said agents would not be there "enforcing mass immigration" but rather to "enforce the law." When asked what ICE would do if it found a "criminal" at the World Cup, Mullin replied that the person would be arrested.
"ICE always does immigration enforcement," Mullin said. "We're always going to do that — but we're not there for solely that purpose. We're in there to do our job: immigration custom enforcement."
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When pressed further, Mullin said agents would not be there to "round up mass individuals."
"We're always looking for the worst of the worst," he said. "We're going to continue to do that."
The secretary noted that ICE has long been present at major sporting events, including the Super Bowl, and argued the agency is newly controversial because "media and the public" — then clarifying "the Democrats" — have "made them some type of villain," CBS News reported.
Will ICE be at FIFA World Cup?
Yes, Mullin confirmed in a CBS News report that ICE will be at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Watch the interview below:
When does the 2026 World Cup start?
The tournament kicks off with Group A matches in Mexico City on June 11, beginning with the host nation, Mexico, competing against South Africa. Afterward, the action shifts to Estadio Guadalajara for the Korea vs. Czechia game.
FIFA World Cup will come to Texas
Several FIFA World Cup matches will be held in Arlington and in Houston.
Dallas Stadium will host nine matches, including four knockout games in the latter stages of the tournament, while Houston Stadium will host seven, including two knockout matches.
USA TODAY reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and the office of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott for confirmation on ICE’s role at the World Cup.
Natassia Paloma may be reached at npaloma@gannett.com, @NatassiaPaloma on x; natassia_paloma on Instagram, and Natassia Paloma Thompson on Facebook.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: ICE may make arrests during 2026 FIFA World Cup, DHS secretary says
