ACLU, Amnesty lead 120 rights groups issuing US World Cup ‘travel advisory’ | World Cup 2026 News

Washington, DC – The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Amnesty International, along with more than 120 civil society groups, have issued a “travel advisory” for foreigners attending the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States.

The warning released on Thursday points to the “deteriorating human rights situation in the United States and in the absence of meaningful action and concrete guarantees from FIFA, host cities, or the US government”.

It comes as some international organisations and fans have raised concerns about how this year’s World Cup, which begins in June and will host games across Mexico, Canada and the United States, will interact with the administration of US President Donald Trump’s hardline immigration policies.

Between 5 and 10 million visitors are expected to travel to the US for the event.

“FIFA has been paying lip service to human rights while cosying up with the Trump administration, putting millions of people at risk of being harmed and their basic rights violated,” Jamil Dakwar, ACLU human rights programme director, said in a statement upon Thursday’s release.

“The Trump administration’s abusive actions continue to threaten our communities, tourists, and fans alike – and it’s past time that FIFA use its leverage to push for meaningful policy changes and binding assurances that will make people feel safe to travel and enjoy the games,” he said.

Jennifer Li, who leads Dignity 2026, a national coalition working with grassroots groups in host cities, said with the World Cup quickly approaching, “We are still waiting for public commitments from FIFA and host city organisers about plans to protect residents, workers, and visitors.”

“The silence has been deafening,” Li said.

In a statement to Al Jazeera, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said the 2026 World Cup “will no doubt be one of the greatest and most spectacular events in the history of mankind, attracting millions of fans from around the world to eleven host cities across America”.

“President Trump is focused on ensuring that this is not only an incredible experience for all fans and visitors, but … also the safest and most secure in history – and no amount of ridiculous scare tactics driven by liberal activist groups and the left-wing media will change that,” he said.

‘Have an emergency contingency plan’

The advisory pointed to six areas of risk for those attending the World Cup, calling on “fans, players, journalists, and other visitors to exercise caution and have an emergency contingency plan when travelling to and within the United States”.

It warned of “arbitrary denial of entry and risk of arrest, detention or deportation of non-US nationals” at ports of entry, pointing to US Customs and Border Protection agents’ “broad discretion to admit, detain, or deny entry”, as well as “invasive social media screening”.

It also warned of “expanded restrictions and limitations on travel and entry into the United States”.

At least 39 countries are currently subject to wide-ranging US travel bans, which offer only narrow exceptions. Two teams competing in the World Cup, Iran and Haiti, are subject to bans on all immigrant and non-immigrant visas, according to the American Immigration Council, while two others, Ivory Coast and Senegal, are subject to partial bans.

Five qualifying countries –  Algeria, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Senegal, and Tunisia – are also subject to Trump’s “Visa Bond Program”, which requires citizens of 50 countries to post a $15,000 bond before travelling to the US.

Trump, meanwhile, has suggested that Iran’s team may not be safe if it competes in the US, although he maintained the players remained “welcome” amid the US-Israeli war with Iran.

On Thursday, the Financial Times reported that a US envoy had asked FIFA to replace Iran with Italy. FIFA has not confirmed the request, but had previously maintained the Iranian team had the right to participate.

‘Violent and unconstitutional immigration enforcement’

Several of the civil society groups’ warnings concerned immigration enforcement after visitors entered the US.

While the role of immigration enforcement agents at the World Cup has not been made clear, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Todd Lyons said in February that the agency would play a “key part” in security.

In a post on X on Wednesday, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, Markwayne Mullin, said the department will be “working alongside the task force and @FIFAcom to ensure all US-based matches are safe and secure”.

The civil society groups warned of “violent and unconstitutional immigration enforcement, including racial profiling and other discrimination by law enforcement”.

They pointed to the Trump administration’s enforcement surges in cities across the country since he took office in January 2025, which rights groups and local law enforcement have alleged involved “dragnet” tactics based on individuals’ perceived races.

Since Trump took office, immigration agents have been involved in dozens of shootings, including the killings of protesters Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis in January.

The groups also warned of “suppression of speech and protest and increased surveillance”, pointing to instances where non-citizens, including permanent residents, have been targeted for expressing “political opinions that diverge from those of the current administration”.

They specifically cited instances of individuals being targeted for “activism in support of Palestinian rights”, a group that has included several high-profile student advocates.

The final point cautioned over conditions in US immigration detention facilities, warning of “serious risk of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, and in some cases, death”. Several reports have recorded 32 deaths in ICE custody in 2025, the deadliest year in more than 20 years.

At least 14 people have died in ICE custody in 2026, according to several reports.

Rights groups recommend precautions

The civil society groups recommended an array of precautions for those attending the World Cup.

They included securing electronic devices, downloading an app that can immediately notify emergency contacts of detention and brushing up on so-called “know your rights” resources.

Daniel Norona, the Americas advocacy director with Amnesty International USA, heaped pressure on FIFA to ensure foreign visitors were not swept up in the Trump administration’s policies.

“If the US government and host cities cannot guarantee the rights and safety of all, this tournament risks falling far short of FIFA’s promise of a safe, welcoming, and inclusive event, for travelling fans, journalists, players, and people already living in the US alike,” Norona said in a statement.

In early April, the athletic sports news site in April reported that FIFA President Gianni Infantino was considering a direct appeal to Trump to suspend immigration enforcement surrounding the event.

In a statement to Al Jazeera, a FIFA spokesperson said that, per the organisation’s statutes, it “is committed to respecting all internationally recognised human rights and shall strive to promote the protection of these rights”.

The spokesperson pointed to several human rights strategies and frameworks it had developed for the 2026 World Cup as “evidence of FIFA’s commitment to human rights across all key activities and actors connected to the tournament”.