Florida immigrant advocates fear ICE will be at Miami World Cup games

• Florida immigrant advocates expressed skepticism after the chair of the Miami FIFA World Cup Host Committee said ICE agents wouldn't be at World Cup games.
• They are asking for an official moratorium on ICE activity at World Cup venues, rather than a "personal assurance," which the chair said he received from Marco Rubio.

Florida immigrant advocates expressed skepticism after the chair of the Miami FIFA World Cup Host Committee said the secretary of state told him there'd be no ICE agents operating at World Cup venues.

“A lot of people are talking (and saying), ‘Well, ICE will be at the stadium,'" Rodney Barreto, chair of the Miami FIFA World Cup Host Committee, told The Athletic. "I talked to Marco Rubio. ICE is not going to be at the stadium. This is not going to turn into some ’round them up’ type of thing. That’s not the purpose of this."

In a release distributed on May 8, several immigration advocates said the pledge wasn't sufficient.

“A personal assurance is not policy, and it is not protection,” said Yareliz Zamora, Florida coordinator for American Friends Service Committee. If the administration wants to "ensure that everyone who wants to attend World Cup events safely can do so" without fearing "being kidnapped," Zamora said it has to announce an official moratorium on immigration enforcement at the tournament.

Thomas Kennedy, a policy analyst with the Florida Immigrant Coalition, said that, in Florida, "this is not simply an ICE issue."

“Local police departments have been transformed into immigration agents through 287(g) agreements and other enforcement partnerships," Kennedy said in the same release. "For many Floridians across the spectrum, there is no meaningful distinction between ICE and local police anymore.”

Miami will host seven World Cup games in 2026, including the Bronze Final.

In the statement, advocates asked for:

• A formal federal moratorium on immigration enforcement operations tied to FIFA World Cup events and surrounding areas.
• Clear public guidance prohibiting enforcement actions at stadiums, fan zones, transit hubs, hotels and related events.
• Transparency regarding the role of local law enforcement agencies participating in immigration enforcement partnerships.

When are the World Cup games in Miami?

• Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay | Group Stage | Monday, June 15
• Uruguay vs. Cabo Verde | Group Stage | Sunday, June 21
• Scotland vs. Brazil | Group Stage | Wednesday, June 24
• Colombia vs. Portugal | Group Stage | Saturday, June 27
• Match 86 | Round of 32 | Friday, July 3
• Match 99 | Quarter-final | Saturday, July 11
• Match 103 | Bronze final | Saturday, July 18

Sarah Perkel is a South Florida Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network's Florida Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY.