ICE vs. World Cup? Pou and Dems Demand Emergency Security Hearing
WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Nellie Pou (D-NJ-09), the top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Task Force overseeing World Cup security, and fellow Task Force members Eric Swalwell (D-CA-14) and LaMonica McIver (D-NJ-10), are calling for the Task Force on Enhancing Security for Special Events in the United States to convene an emergency hearing on whether Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities threaten the success of FIFA World Cup matches being held in the United States this summer.
“DHS’s out-of-control operations in Minneapolis and refusal to guarantee a safe and secure World Cup free of militant ICE operations jeopardize the safety of the general public, put the security of foreign travelers at risk, and erode the United States’ reputation as a welcoming host,” the members write to Task Force Chairman Michael T. McCaul (TX-10). “Hosting the World Cup is a generational opportunity to illustrate to the global community the very best of America, and we only have one chance to get it right.”
At an oversight hearing Tuesday, the head of ICE refused to rule out enforcement activity at or around World Cup games this summer when questioned by Congresswoman Pou.
Congresswoman Pou has been a long-running critic of the Trump administration’s immigration actions. On October 14, 2025, Pou led 11 members of New Jersey’s congressional delegation calling on Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to restore federal security grant funding that is being slashed by the Trump administration by nearly 50 percent. On January 26, 2026, Congresswoman Pou signed on to a letter demanding that Secretary Noem answer questions about deaths in CBP and ICE custody.
Last week, Congresswoman Pou called on DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to explain why ICE agents are systematically hiding vehicle license plates to mask their work and identities. This week, Pou introduced legislation that would forbid ICE agents from manipulating their vehicle license plates.
The text of the members’ letter is below.
Dear Chairman McCaul:
As Members of the Homeland Security Committee Task Force on Enhancing Security for Special Events in the United States (Task Force), we write to request that you schedule a hearing in the next four weeks for the Task Force to hear from non-governmental witnesses about the effects of the Trump administration’s immigration policies on the World Cup and associated public events.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has displayed a troubling pattern of aggressive and brutal immigration enforcement tactics, especially during their recent operation in Minnesota, which killed two American citizens. We are increasingly concerned that DHS’s tactics pose an unacceptable risk to American citizens, foreign visitors, and immigrants who seek to lawfully enjoy World Cup matches and other public events. Moreover, we have heard from local governments that communication from World Cup planners and DHS has been virtually non-existent, which leaves law enforcement in the dark about security planning and preparation for these major events.
Last summer, more than 90 civil society groups, including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, the ACLU, and the NAACP wrote to Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) expressing deep concern over U.S. immigration enforcement policies and the harmful impact the Trump administration’s tactics will have on the World Cup. The groups highlighted how “[i]ncreased immigration enforcement actions, abusive Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, and broader border restrictions have…contributed to widespread fear and uncertainty” for players, fans, and journalists planning to legally attend World Cup events in the United States. Since that letter was sent, the Trump administration’s enforcement actions have only increased in their severity, which jeopardizes travel and attendance at World Cup matches and Fan Festivals across the United States.
Despite pleas from lawmakers and non-profit groups, the Trump administration has repeatedly refused to rule out ICE enforcement and raids at World Cup matches and public events, prompting concerns over the safety and shared spirit of these games. The threat of immigration enforcement at the World Cup and related public events risks politicizing these global games and taking law enforcement resources away from public safety. Without assurances that travelers and attendees will be safe from draconian DHS law enforcement activities targeting immigrants, visitors, and citizens, our local economies will suffer massive losses rather than economic gains from the World Cup matches and Fan Festivals. It is imperative that the Task Force receive testimony about the social and economic impacts of the Trump administration’s out-of-control immigration enforcement operations, lack of coordination with local law enforcement, and their impacts on the World Cup and associated public events.
The actions by DHS officers and agents that have terrorized communities in Minneapolis and other American cities only heighten our concerns regarding how DHS plans to interact with individuals coming to the United States from every corner of the world for these games. Minnesota law enforcement leaders have repeatedly condemned actions and behavior of DHS officers, noting there have been “endless complaints of civil rights violations” and that “this behavior erodes the trust that these police chiefs have worked tirelessly from the last 5 years…to stop this exact behavior from happening.” The Minnesota ICE operation has already led to 3 individuals being shot with bullets, including two American citizens killed by DHS officers and agents. This follows a pattern of troubling behavior nationwide. Since the Trump administration ramped up its immigration operations in September, at least 12 people have been shot by federal immigration officers and at least 36 people have died in ICE detention—including a reported homicide earlier this year.
DHS’s out-of-control operations in Minneapolis and refusal to guarantee a safe and secure World Cup free of militant ICE operations jeopardize the safety of the general public, put the security of foreign travelers at risk, and erode the United States’ reputation as a welcoming host. Numerous countries have issued travel advisories and warnings to those coming to the United States, and leaders within the international soccer community, including the former president of FIFA, have advised international fans to avoid traveling to the United States for the matches.
Hosting the World Cup is a generational opportunity to illustrate to the global community the very best of America, and we only have one chance to get it right. The Task Force has a responsibility to reassure players, fans, and the press that they will be able to safely and securely enjoy the World Cup and related public activities like Fan Festivals without becoming DHS’s next victims. Our Task Force must examine and conduct oversight of the procedures and protocols being put in place by this administration so that fans and players—regardless of their citizenship status or country of origin—know that they will not be illegally detained, harassed, or otherwise threatened by ICE or other DHS law enforcement. Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
Sincerely,
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