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ICE officers will have a presence at World Cup matches in Dallas and other cities, acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Todd Lyons confirmed at a committee meeting Tuesday.
Arlington will host nine World Cup matches this summer, including a semifinal, which is the most of any host city during the tournament’s nearly two-month run. Dallas will also host the International Broadcast Center at the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center and the FIFA Fan Festival in Fair Park.
Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the U.S. White House Task Force for the 2026 World Cup, declined to outline Homeland Security’s plan for the tournament when asked by WFAA in January. At a Tuesday House Homeland Security Committee meeting, Lyons confirmed that ICE would be involved in World Cup security after Democratic U.S. Rep. Nellie Pou asked whether officials would pause operations during the tournament.
“ICE, specifically Homeland Security Investigations, is a key part of the overall security apparatus for the World Cup,” Lyons said. “We’re dedicated to securing that operation, and we’re dedicated to the security of all our participants, as well as visitors.”
Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative arm of ICE and primarily deals with transnational criminal investigations. The other arm, Enforcement and Removal Operations, is responsible for detaining and deporting undocumented immigrants.
Lyons did not elaborate on ICE’s role in the tournament.
“If they [visiting fans] feel that they’re going to be wrongfully incarcerated or wrongfully pulled out, that’s going to hurt this entire process,” Pou said. “I hope you realize that.”
While the Trump administration has introduced visa exemptions for team members and support staff traveling to the games, fans from four participating countries: Haiti, Iran, Senegal and the Ivory Coast, will be unable to travel to the U.S. under current travel restrictions. The American Immigration Council has further warned that travel bans and the targeting of immigrant communities by ICE may have a chilling effect on attendance by fans of other countries.
It is not unprecedented for ICE agents to provide security at international events, both domestically and overseas. The agency’s recent operations, however, have incited foreign backlash, mirroring unrest in the U.S. ICE agents from Homeland Security Investigations are currently stationed in Milan to provide security during the Winter Olympics. Local residents have taken to the streets in recent days to protest their presence in the country and controversial operations in the U.S.
Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala also spoke out against ICE agents operating in the city.
“This is a militia that kills, a militia that enters into the homes of people, signing their own permission slips. It is clear they are not welcome in Milan, without a doubt,” Sala told RTL Radio 102.
ICE Tension
Tensions over immigration enforcement operations have risen in the U.S. since the start of January. Protests have broken out nationally in response to the January killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents during an ICE-led enforcement surge in Minnesota. At least three major protests have taken place in Dallas since the Jan. 7 killing of Good, with the most recent taking place on Jan. 29, five days after Pretti was fatally shot.
Dallas is preparing to host an estimated 3.8 million fans during the World Cup’s 39-day run, according to a city council report from a Jan. 21 briefing. Over 35,000 fans are expected to attend events at Fair Park each day.
Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux declined to release data on the department’s interactions with ICE to the Community Police Oversight Board in January while assuring board members that “we don’t do anything regarding immigration.” He’s also refused to participate in the 287(g) program, which gives local law enforcement jurisdiction to enforce federal immigration law.
As previously reported by the Observer, Christina Foley, special agent in charge of the United States Secret Service, will coordinate with local law enforcement and federal agencies such as ICE.
Despite calls for countries and fans to boycott the tournament, FIFA has touted record ticket sales for the 2026 World Cup, with over 500 million ticket requests submitted in a one-month random drawing period.
