FIFA weighs asking Trump to stop ICE raids during the World Cup: report

FIFA executives are considering asking President Donald Trump to suspend Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids during the World Cup , according to a new report. A nationwide ICE moratorium for the duration of the 39-day tournament could be framed as a win-win for both the Trump administration and the international soccer organization, FIFA insiders told The Athletic . The move could ease countries concerns about ICE operations during the World Cup , which kicks off in June across the U.

S. , Canada, and Mexico and is expected to draw more than one million international fans. Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons previously signaled that the agency would serve as a “key part of the overall security apparatus” for the tournament.

Since returning to office, Trump has overseen a nationwide immigration crackdown which the Department of Homeland Security says led to the removal or departure of nearly three million undocumented immigrants in his first year. As part of this effort, ICE agents have deployed across states, resulting in the deaths of two American citizens in Minnesota in January, and sparking public protests over aggressive tactics. Trump with FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the World Cup draw.

A nationwide ICE moratorium for the duration of the 39-day tournament could be framed as a win-win for both the Trump administration and the international soccer organization, FIFA insiders claim (Getty Images) The pitch: ‘FIFA Unites the World’ With less than two months until the tournament begins, senior FIFA executives have discussed with Gianni Infantino, the organization’s president, the prospect of him reaching out to Trump directly to ask for an ICE moratorium, four people with knowledge of the matter told The Athletic . The initial plan was to ask that federal immigration agents stay clear of World Cup sites in the 11 American host cities but the proposal later expanded to include the cities themselves. And since the tournament will extend across more states — including base camps throughout the country — officials ultimately concluded that the request should call for a nationwide moratorium.