Will ICE agents be present at the World Cup? What travelling fans need to know

With a little over a week until World Cup 2026 kicks off, excitement is building around the globe for what looks set to be one of the most intriguing iterations of recent years.

However, fans heading to North America for this summer's tournament will have seen the overwhelming number of negative headlines emerging from the continent – particularly from the United States – not to mention the actions of FIFA themselves.

The controversy surrounding ticket prices that emerged late last year was just the tip of the iceberg, with a travel ban being imposed by US President Donald Trump in January causing panic, and the widespread fear of ICE agents potentially appearing at the World Cup deterring visitors.

Here, as World Cup 2026 approaches, Football Ground Guide takes a look at that crucial concern: Will ICE agents be present at the tournament?

What is ICE?

ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency) has been an active organisation in the USA since 2002 as part of the response to the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001. The main role of the agency has historically been to try to prevent terrorist and criminal activity in the country.

Since Donald Trump returned to the White House for a second time in 2024, ICE has been expanded significantly, in terms of numbers and responsibilities. Trump has instructed ICE to carry out his mass deportation initiative, which has seen a rise in the visibility of ICE agents across the country.

One of their key tasks at present is to investigate undocumented immigrants and to ultimately deport them from the USA.

Will ICE agents be present at the 2026 World Cup?

ICE agents will be visible at the 2026 World Cup, and they may even turn out play a bigger role than initially anticipated. The current head of ICE, Todd Lyons, recently told a congressional committee that the agency is a ‘key part of the overall security apparatus for the World Cup'.

A pause on ICE activity for the tournament had been suggested by several key figures in the USA, but this has been completely ruled out by Lyons.

"ICE officers are paid a bonus every time they detain someone…they get money per head that they detain. The guards told me that." World Cup going to be a feeding frenzy, an ICE profit centre https://t.co/5VlALBEmVO

— Nate Bear (@NateB_Panic) February 21, 2026

Should foreign fans be concerned about ICE?

The reputation of ICE is currently on the floor, so it is perfectly reasonable for non-US citizens to be concerned about their presence at the World Cup.

The tragic and brutal deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good at the hands of ICE agents in Minneapolis have understandably struck fear into all overseas individuals planning on attending World Cup matches in the USA this summer.

Those two killings make it difficult to make a strong argument that foreign fans will 100% be safe in the USA this summer. After all, both Alex Pretti and Renee Good were both US citizens, so if it can happen to them, then it can certainly happen to non-US citizens.

FGG says: A tournament shrouded in negativity

This is a tournament that has faced negativity from the outset, and that is not going to change now. There are simply too many reasons for football fans to turn their backs on this summer's tournament, and FIFA should be concerned.