‘We want fans to know the risks’: US immigrant rights groups mobilize across World Cup host cities amid ICE fears

In Los Angeles, a labor union representing more than 2,000 hospitality workers at SoFi Stadium is threatening to strike if ICE agents do not stay away. Photograph: Frederic J Brown/AFP via Getty Images View image in fullscreen In Los Angeles, a labor union representing more than 2,000 hospitality workers at SoFi Stadium is threatening to strike if ICE agents do not stay away. Photograph: Frederic J Brown/AFP via Getty Images ‘We want fans to know the risks’: US immigrant rights groups mobilize across World Cup host cities amid ICE fears More than 120 groups issued warning to 10 million visitors about ‘serious rights violations’ under Trump With the Fifa World Cup just two weeks away, immigrant rights advocates in the 11 US host cities are mobilizing to protect fans and residents from immigration enforcement activities this summer. In Los Angeles, a labor union representing more than 2,000 hospitality workers at SoFi Stadium is threatening to strike if agents do not stay away from the venue, which is expected to draw about 70,000 fans per match. In Dallas, the civil rights group El Movimiento DFW is handing out hundreds of whistle kits – including information on how to obtain a free consultation with an immigration attorney – at churches, businesses and apartment complexes in case US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents begin detaining people near matches. More than 120 civil society groups have even issued a travel warning to the 10 million potential visitors about “serious rights violations” under the current political climate, including “arbitrary denial of entry and risk of arrest, detention and/or deportation”. The world’s largest sporting event, which kicks off on 11 June, arrives at a cataclysmic moment in the US: amid Donald Trump’s large-scale, aggressive immigration crackdown, at least 18 people have died this year in ICE custody and multiple US citizens have been killed. Immigration activists say they have received conflicting reports about the presence and role of ICE agents at the World Cup: Trump administration officials have not ruled out the possibility of arrests near the games, despite assurances from the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, that ICE would not operate inside stadiums. “The Department of Homeland Security is working around the clock with federal, state, local and international partners to ensure a safe and secure environment for players, fans and communities hosting these events,” said Lauren Bis, the Department of Homeland Security acting assistant secretary. “The safety and security of the American people and the millions of visitors attending these events remain our highest priority.” In response, organizers are staying vigilant on multiple fronts, bolstering rapid response networks and legal aid resources. “We know that soccer is something many in the Latino immigrant community grew up playing or watching,” said Christine Bolaños, communications director at Workers Defense Action Fund, one of the signa