United States immigration and border enforcement agents will be stationed at FIFA Club World Cup venues when the tournament kicks off this weekend, according to a report from NBC Miami on Wednesday.
The report said officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will be present at Saturday’s opening match between Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami and Egypt’s Al Ahly in Miami.
A now-deleted social media post by CBP reportedly confirmed their involvement. “Let the games begin! The first FIFA Club World Cup games start on June 14th in Miami,” the post on X (formerly Twitter) read. “CBP will be suited and booted and ready to provide security for the first round of games.”
The report did not specify the number of agents expected to be deployed or detail their specific roles at match venues.
The development follows recent ICE raids in Los Angeles linked to former President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, which have sparked protests in the city.
When contacted by AFP, ICE declined to comment on the report. FIFA President Gianni Infantino, however, sought to downplay concerns over the deployment of immigration officers at Club World Cup matches.
“No, I don’t have any concerns about anything in the sense that we are very attentive on any security question,” Infantino said during an event in Miami.
“Of course, the most important for us is to guarantee security for all the fans who come to the games. This is our priority. This is the priority of all the authorities who are here. And we want everyone who comes to the games to pass a good moment.”
