Players and fans have started arriving in North America for the Fifa World Cup, which kicks off on Thursday. How warm their welcome will be in the US is an open question.
The US is co-hosting the world's biggest sporting event with Canada and Mexico, but the political backdrop in the US is drawing scrutiny and stoking fears among supporters who want to help propel their teams to glory.
On Saturday, Iraq's Football Federation said its top player, Aymen Hussein, was detained and questioned for seven hours at Chicago’s O'Hare International Airport. The team photographer was denied entry.
“When Iraq’s top scorer – having qualified for the planet’s biggest sporting event can be treated like a suspect upon arrival, it is hard not to wonder about the reception awaiting certain national teams (such as Iran) and their supporters,” the federation wrote on X.
The World Cup is being played at a time of extraordinary domestic tension in the US, and as conflicts play out across the globe.
The Iran Football Federation has accused the US of “vindictive behaviour” in refusing visas for managerial and administrative members of its World Cup travelling party.
While the players have been granted visas, the IFF said 14 officials had been refused visas before upcoming matches in California and Seattle.
It is the first World Cup since the tournament's inception in 1930 in which a host nation is set to receive a country it is at war with.
ICE raids outside stadiums?
President Donald Trump last year ordered an immigration clampdown that led to partial or full travel bans for visitors from 39 countries. At the same time, he hired more than 12,000 new Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers.
High-profile incidents of agents using excessive force or killing US citizens dominated headlines, making some visitors uncomfortable about coming to the US for the World Cup. Fans have also been put off by exorbitant match ticket prices.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has told the federal government that New York City does not want ICE agents to be at any World Cup events, as state officials work to reassure international visitors before the tournament.
Ms Hochul is “laser focused” on ensuring fans can attend matches “safely and without fear”, a representative for Ms Hochul told The National.
“This administration is taking an all-hands-on-deck approach to ensure safety and security ahead of a once-in-a-generation summer of events,” the official said. “The Governor has been clear with the federal government: New York does not want or need ICE agents present at World Cup events.”
Concerns are high among human rights groups and visitors over the role ICE could play during the tournament, which marks the World Cup's return to the US after it hosted in 1994.
Minky Worden, director of global initiatives at Human Rights Watch, said the World Cup would take place amid an increasingly aggressive immigration enforcement environment.
She said immigrants attending matches could face heightened risks, while international visitors are likely to be subject to expanded vetting measures, including facial recognition technology and social media screenings. “This World Cup should be known as the surveillance World Cup,” she told The National.
The advocacy group has called on Fifa and US authorities to adopt an “ICE truce” during the tournament, with guarantees that fans can attend matches without fear of immigration enforcement.
HRW cited the Olympic Truce, an ancient tradition in which rival Greek city-states suspended hostilities to allow athletes and spectators to travel safely to and from the Games.
Co-host Mexico is also experiencing security concerns as protests take place in Mexico City around fan zones, with families of Mexico’s 130,000 missing people among those who have been holding demonstrations.
'Surveillance games'
Over six weeks, teams from 48 countries will play 104 matches across the US, Canada and Mexico, drawing millions of fans.
Human rights groups have also raised concerns about the use of surveillance technology during the tournament. Mr Trump's immigration crackdown has prompted questions about how visitors and immigrant communities may be affected during the competition.
“This type of climate of fear that Fifa has allowed US President Donald Trump to put in place is something that we have not seen before,” Craig Foster, the Australian human rights advocate and former footballer, told reporters.
Attention has been focused particularly on MetLife Stadium in New Jersey – temporarily renamed New York New Jersey Stadium for the tournament – which will host eight matches, including the final. The venue is expected to host about 1.2 million visitors between June 13 and July 19.
Authorities are preparing for a range of security threats, including terrorism, drone incursions and risks linked to broader geopolitical tensions. The conflict between the US and Iran has added to security concerns surrounding large public gatherings.
Last week, The National visited the New Jersey State Police Operations Centre, which will co-ordinate security operations for World Cup matches in the state.
Officials have been planning this operation for three years. They said their priority was protecting fans and venues rather than supporting immigration enforcement.
“We are not active in an ICE mission,” Lt Col David Sirovic said. “We're here to protect the fans, the events themselves, and ensure the safety of this operation.”
The New Jersey police will work with more than 400 local, state and federal agencies. Their representatives will sit in a command room around the clock to monitor threats.
