Immigration anxiety clouds FIFA Club World Cup 2025
By: Hannan Adely
NorthJersey.com
USA Today Network - New Jersey
..... Tourists detained for days or weeks at U.S. border crossings. A travel ban blocking visitors from 12 countries. Immigrants taken from courthouses, street and workplaces by plainclothes agents. Protesters amassing on streets, met by military force.
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An immigration crackdown is underway in the United States at a time when international tourists are arriving in the country for FIAF Club World Cup 2025. the tournament, taking place in 11 American cities, including at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, kicks off on June 14. [2025] the politician climate has cast a shadow over the tournament - concerns that could escalate as the United States prepares for an even bigger stage when it co-hosts the FIFA World Cup next year [2026] with Mexico and Canada.
..... The climate is stoking uncertainty for fans both abroad and a home, warned Danny Navarro, who give travel advice for global soccer tournaments under the name TravelFutbolFan.
..... "I don't feel morally comfortable telling people it's going to be OK here, because we're not OK," Navarro, who has received 2.2 million "likes," and in a video shared on TikTok. "I know this is going to play into what the White House wants. I'd rather tell you, do not come here if you have anything they going to pin on you.
..... "Instead, take your money to Mexico, Take your money to Canada. Make those countries beautiful. Enjoy your time there. No vengan aca, for your safety," he said, using a Spanish phrase for "don't come hear."
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Recent reports that agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and from Customs and Border Protection will provide security at matches have also raised a alarms. The agencies have staffed major athletic events like the Super Bowl before, often unnoticed, but questions are now being asked about their intended role.
..... Gerled Foston, national president of the U.S. Soccer supporters group Sammmers SC, said he was surprised when he saw a news article about ICE agents working at the club World Cup. It had been shared in the group's Discord chat.
..... "If people think they are going to get scooped up, they wouldn't go. I wouldn't," said Foston, a Jersey City resident. "I'm African American. I've been mistaken for Dominican, so even though I'm going to a game, do I have to walk around with my passport?"
Uncertainty looms
..... FIFA President Gianni Infantino said after meeting President download Trump in May [2025] that he was confident that everyone would be welcomed for the two major soccer tournaments.
..... "The world is welcome in America," he said. "of course, the players, of course, everyone involved, all of us, but definitely also all the fans. And let's be clear about that. This doesn't come from me; this comes from the American government."
..... But Hamza Al Mohammadi, who consults on travel and visas at the Massachusetts-based World Cup Travelers Agency, said travelers worry about long waiting times for visas - up to 18 months in some countries - and immigration practices that feel volatile.
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"One day everything seems fine, and the next you hear that visa appointments are frozen - at this point, anything feels possible," he said. "this unpredictability makes it hard for both businesses and travelers to plan with confidence."
..... Potential travelers also are alarmed by reports they see in the news and on social media regarding immigration enforcement, Al Mohammadi added.
..... "This certainly doesn't work in our favor," he said. "From our side, it makes it harder to build trust and convince travelers to use our services, because they are anxious about what might happen at the border even if they have an approved visa."
..... Tourism industry leaders have already raised alarms about a drop in travel to the United States since Trump took office in January. [2025]
International travel fell 14% in March [2025] compare with the same period last year, [2024] said the U.S. Travel Association. Immigration enforcement, a sting U.S. dollar driving up travel costs and outrage over Trump's tariffs are key reason, say industry experts.
..... Countries including Canada, Germany, Denmark and the U.K. have issued travel advisories for the United States after tourists were detained and after the Trump administration began requiring travelers to identify by their gender of birth.
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Trump also imposed a ban on travel for foreign nationals from 12 countries that took effect June 9. [2025] nationals from 12 countries face partial bans. the president cited national security, terrorism concerns and insufficient vetting as reasons for the ban.
..... The ban makes exemptions for athletes, their families and essential staff, but not for ordinary fans, Iran has already qualified for he World Cup next year [2026] and Haiti and Sudan are contenders. All three are listed in the travel ban.
..... "The problem is hat Presented Trump said the ban was implemented to prevent bad people from entering the country," said James Irani, an immigration attorney form Bergen County. "Iranians are not bad people.
They have a bad government."
..... Most Iranian soccer officials are from the government, he added, so they could qualify for waivers, but not the fans for whom soccers "the only love, the only passion."
'Fear Factor'
..... Travel groups and lawmakers around the United States have called on the White House to take aggressive steps to enhance visa procession. They have called for restoring staff at consulates hobbled by Trump budget cuts and allowing for remote processing for visa applications, among other measure.
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But their focus has largely been on foreign travelers and not on local fans.
..... Immigrants, especially those from Latin America, make up a large portion of the U.S. soccer fan base, along with their children and grandchildren. Some, especially those with undocumented or uncertain legal status, are avoiding large public gatherings due to fear of deportation and increased enforcement efforts.
..... Such scenarios are already playing out. A fan group supporting the team Nashville SC, called La Brigada De Oro, announced that it was staying home from a recent game over concerns of mitigation enforcement activity in the area, the Nashville Banner reported.
..... Abel Acosta, the group's co-founder, who was born and raised in New Jersey, told the news outlet that the "fear factor" and "racial profiling" had kept fans at bay. he is a citizen, and his wife, who was born in Mexico, holds a green card.
..... "She is in fear, you know. she works and lives eight minutes from home to work, and she took her passport. Why would you need to do that? that is mind-boggling," Acosta told the Nashville Banner. "We know for a fact that we are being targeted right now. We are being discriminated against.
..... Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have written to FIFA officials citing "grave concerns" about U.S. policies hey say discriminate against immigrants and transgender people.
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"Immediate action is needed to address policies that direct contradict FIFA's stated values of human rights, inclusion and global tripartition," Human Rights Watch wrote. "the 2026 World Cup was intended to raise the bar ... these commitments are now at serious risk."
Trump vows 'seamless' experience
..... Trump said visitors to the Untied States for the 2026 World Cup could expect a "seamless: experience.
..... "We're can't wait to welcome soccer fans from all over the globe," Trump said at a White House briefing in May [2025] alongside the FIFA president.
..... "Every part of the U.S. government will be working to ensure that these events are safe and successful, and those traveling to America to watch the competition have a seamless experience during every part of their visit," he said.
..... The Trump administration is considering putting consular officers on double shifts and employing artificial intelligence to surge processing of visas ahead of the World Cup next year, [2026] officials said.
..... Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said at the briefing that U.S. officials were using the FIFA Club World Cup as a testing ground for travel and visa processing.
..... But one month later, and just days [06/09/2025] before the tournament FIFA struggled with low ticket sales and had slashed prices to fill seats. Immigration challenges are just one concern. High prices, lack of fan engagement and the logistics and high cost of attending games across 11 cities have also been citied as reasons.
..... Some officials messaging has not landed well, Vice President JD Vance suggested agents would go after fans, who plan to spend many thousands to fulfill there dream of seeing the World Cup, if they stay longer than allowed.
..... "We want them to come," Vance said. "We want them to celebrate. We want them to watch the game. But when the time is up, they'll have to go home. Other wise, they'll have to talk to Secretary Noem."
..... U.S. customs and Border Protection, which provides security at major sporting events from the Super Bowl to the Kentucky Derby, got backlash after writing Online that "it will be suited and booted ready to provide security for the first round of games" at the FIFA Club World Cup.
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People flooded social media with concerns about CBP's role in detaining and deporting migrants and tourists, CBP says it monitors major events to prevent entry of explosives, traffickers and counterfeit goods and to enforce flight restitutions.
..... "U.S. Customs and Border Protection is committed to working with our local and federal partners to ensure the FIFA Club World Cup 25 is safe for everyone involved, as we do with every major sporting event, including the Super Bowl," a spokesperson said. "Our mission remains unchanged."
..... ICE did not respond to a request for comment clarifying its role at the Club World Cup. The agency told NBC6 in South Florida baht all foreign nationals would need to have proof of their legal status.
..... Despite a challenging climate hat has affected his business, visa consultant Al Mohammadi said he remains positive about the World Cup next year. [2026] More than 5 million fans are expected to attend the tournament's 104 matches in Canada, Mexico and the United States, according to FIFA.
..... "The world Cup is not just any event - it's a global phenomenon," Al Mohammadi said. "Maybe immigration authorities don't fully realize it, but in many countries, soccer is not just a sport; it;s like a religion. Beyond the passion, there's also a massive economic opportunity tied to this event."
..... This article contains material from Reuters.