Human rights movement Amnesty International has urged Donald Trump and the US government to take action following “unlawful arrests and deportations”, which undermine “the rights to liberty and security” of migrants and refugees in the US ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
On 30 March, the global human rights organisation published a 36-page report detailing the risks to, and impact on, players, journalists, fans and workers ahead of the World Cup, which will take place across North America – the US, Mexico and Canada – this summer.
Concerns have already been raised about the presence of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at the event, as well as travel bans, which could prevent fans from several nations – including Côte d'Ivoire, Haiti, Iran and Senegal – from entering the US, ruling them out of supporting their team at the tournament.
Amnesty also claims that other fans “face intrusive surveillance”, including being subject to “anti-American” social media screening upon entering the US.
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In the report, Amnesty urges US authorities to “lift discriminatory travel bans and vetting of social media”.
The organisation has also suggested that all three host nations have threatened the right to protest, while claiming that the US is “facing a human rights emergency” ahead of the tournament due to “discriminatory immigration policies, mass detentions and arbitrary arrests by masked, armed agents from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and other agencies”.
Steven Cockburn, who serves as Amnesty International's Head of Economic and Social Justice, said: “The US government has deported more than 500,000 people from the US in 2025 – more than six times as many people as will watch the World Cup final at MetLife Stadium.
“The record-breaking surge of unlawful arrests and deportations has only been possible because of the erosion of due process safeguards, undermining the rights to liberty and security of hundreds of thousands of migrants and refugees. These policies have torn communities apart and created a climate of fear throughout the US. It’s a deeply troubling time in the US, which will certainly extend to fans who want to take part in World Cup celebrations.”
In previous months, there were calls for some nations to boycott the tournament, but as it stands, no participating country has officially pulled out, despite suggestions that Iran may not feature due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Seventy-eight of the 104 matches will take place in the US including the final.
The World Cup begins on 11 June, with Mexico set to host South Africa in Mexico City.
Topics: Donald Trump, Football, FIFA World Cup
Luke Davies