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By Billal Rahman and Dan Gooding
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President Donald Trump's immigration enforcers are set to be deployed at the FIFA Club World Cup Games to provide security at the soccer tournament.
"Let the games begin! The first FIFA Club World Cup games start on June 14th in Miami... CBP will be suited and booted and ready to provide security for the first round of games," U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) wrote in a since-deleted post on social media.
Newsweek has reached out the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for comment.
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Why It Matters
President Donald Trump's administration is carrying out plans to deport millions of immigrants as part of his key campaign pledge. ICE agents have been thrust into the forefront of the national conversation surrounding immigration enforcement. The agency has been granted expanded powers to conduct arrests in sensitive locations such as schools, hospitals and churches.
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What To Know
A spokesperson for CBP told Newsweek: "U.S. Customs and Border Protection is committed to working with our local and federal partners to ensure the FIFA Club World Cup 26 is safe for everyone involved, as we do with every major sporting event, including the Super Bowl. Our mission remains unchanged."
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is also expected to be at the games, according to local Miami news outlet NBC 6 South Florida and The Athletic.
ICE issued a warning to attendees and said people should carry proof of their legal status, NBC 6 reported.
CBP personnel are occasionally deployed to major sporting events to help identify and respond to potential threats and criminal activity, according to the agency. Additionally, its Air and Marine Operations will assist in enforcing temporary flight restrictions around stadiums during the matches.
What People Are Saying
FIFA President Gianni Infantino told reporters: "No, I don't have any concerns about anything in the sense that we are very attentive on any security question, of course the most important for us is to guarantee security for all the fans who come to the games, this is our priority."
Thomas Kennedy of the Florida Immigrant Coalition told NBC6 South Florida that the social media post by CBP was "a bit cryptic, it's sort of alluding that people should have their paperwork in order to attend the games." Kennedy added that it may make potential fans "less likely to come watch the games because of just sheer intimidation."
What Happens Next
The FIFA Club World Cup will begin on May 14 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
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