Internatiomal travelers, fans, journalists and delegations are being urged to exercise extreme caution while traveling in Massachusetts and the United States in June and July for the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup tournament.
New England immigant and refugee advocacy organizations today issued a travel advisory warning that in the absence of meaningful action from FIFA, host cities or the Trump administration, travelers to the US could be at the risk of serious rights violations.
MIRA Coalition, the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition, the New Hampshire Alliance of Immigrants and Refugees and the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project join more than 120 civil society orgaizations that have issued a national travel advisory warning that, in the absence of meaningful action from FIFA, host cities or the Trump administration, visitors traveling to the United States could be at risk of serious rights violaltions. Boston, is one of 11 official FIFA host cities in the US, with seven matches scheduled at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, between June 13 and July 9, making Massachusetts a significant destination for the estimated 10 million visitors expected to attend the tournament.
The advisory warns that travelers — regardless of visa statdus, citizenship or documentation — could be at risk of: Denial of entry, arrest, detention and/or deportation; Screening of social media accounts and searches of electronic devices at ports of entry; aggressive immigration enforcement, including racial profiling; Restrictions on free speech, protest and assembly; and Dangerous and degrading conditions in immigration detention.
Journalists, athletes and delegation members from Latin America, Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and other regions are considered particularly at risk of being targeted based on national origin, race or language.
“Soccer should be bringing families and communities together, not tearing them apart. FIFA must uphold its commitment to human rights by keeping ICE out of this year’s World Cup,” said Mufalo Chitam, Executive Director of Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition.
“The World Cup should be a moment when the world comes together through sport to celebrate our diversity and an international competition, but because of inaction, it could put waves of international travelers at grave risk,” said Elizabeth Sweet, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition. “FIFA and the host committee must demand safety guarantees for local and international fans, vendors and journalists. We need local, state and particularly federal leaders to join with these efforts to keep these games safe for all.”
The coalition is calling on:
FIFA and the 2026 World Cup host committee to make good on their promise of a safe, welcoming and inclusive tournament by issuing enforceable safety guarantee for all fans, journalists, vendors and residents affecdted by the games; The Trump Administration to ensure ICE does not target fans, journalists, vendors or visitors attending the World C up and to cease unconstitutioal enforcement tactics, including racist profiling ; Host city officials to reafirm local protections and to publicity commit to the safety of all visitors regardless of immigration status.