Los Angeles is the center of a political firestorm this week, as President Donald Trump deployed hundreds of Marines to the city in response to protests against raids by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.
On Saturday, the city will host the first game of the CONCACAF Gold Cup between Mexico and the Dominican Republic.
Fans of the Mexican national team historically show out in droves to support their squad. Close to 70,000 fans showed up to the Mexico–Panama CONCACAF Nations League final at SoFi in March. But over the past few months, Hispanic community events have been canceled out of fear of ICE raids, which have scaled up and detained hundreds of people over the past week, according to advocacy groups. The Mexican flag has been a prominent symbol of the protests, with Trump official Stephen Miller complaining about “all the foreign flags.”
The Gold Cup isn’t the only international soccer tournament in the U.S. this week set against the backdrop of protests against immigration policies. The FIFA Club World Cup kicks off Saturday in Miami, and it appears that ICE and Customs and Border Protection agents will be at Hard Rock Stadium for the opener.
On its Facebook account, CBP had posted: “Let the games begin. The first #FIFAClubWorldCup games start on June 14th in Miami, FL at the Hard Rock Stadium. CBP will be suited and booted and ready to provide security for the first round of games. #CBPxFIFA #FootballUnitesTheWorld.” The post has since been deleted.
And according to Miami’s NBC6, ICE said their agents will be at the Club World Cup opener and that all non-U.S. citizens should have proof of their legal status.
DHS and ICE did not immediately respond to questions about the Gold Cup, Club World Cup, or deleted post.
CBP did not answer direct questions about immigration enforcement, telling FOS in a statement that “U.S. Customs and Border Protection is committed to working with our local and federal partners to ensure the FIFA Club World Cup is safe for everyone involved, as we do with every major sporting event, including the Super Bowl.”
In response to the deleted post, Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz said the primary focus at the opener will be safety and security. FIFA president Gianni Infantino answered questions about whether he is worried about CBP or ICE attending the game, saying he has no concerns about security plans.
Security at Hard Rock was already likely going to be under scrutiny after last summer’s debacle at the Copa América final, when fans rushing the stadium delayed the game for over an hour. Dozens were arrested, including the Colombian soccer federation president. The incident immediately raised questions about whether the U.S. was ready to host the Club World Cup this summer, much less the World Cup a year from now.
But tensions are already hot in L.A., where several ICE raids including outside a Home Depot and another in the downtown Fashion District led to protests starting Friday that grew over the next several days. Hundreds of people have been arrested in L.A., and protests have spread to major cities across the country.
The president sent in the National Guard despite Gov. Gavin Newsom and L.A. mayor Karen Bass both saying they didn’t need it; California then sued the federal government and requested a temporary restraining order on the deployment of the National Guard and Marines.
On Monday, Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum spoke out about the protests. “Los Angeles wouldn’t be what it is if it weren’t for the Mexicans who live there,” she said. “The Mexican government will continue using all diplomatic and legal channels available to express its disagreement through its consular network with practices that criminalize immigration and put at risk the safety and wellbeing of our communities in the United States.”
In addition to immigration protests, this upcoming Saturday’s nationwide “No Kings” protest against the president is set to touch down in both Miami and L.A.
The protests have been largely concentrated in downtown L.A., Paramount, Compton, and Westwood, none of which are closer than about 10 miles from Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium.
“We will continue to actively monitor developments as we work towards delivering a world-class tournament that highlights the best of our sport in a safe, inclusive, and enjoyable environment for all,” CONCACAF said in a statement. The federation has already moved the Mexican National team out of its originally planned downtown hotel due to safety concerns amid the protests.
The World Cup, Olympics, Club World Cup, and Gold Cup received exceptions by the Trump administration in regard to its new travel ban, which means any players, staff, and immediate families from the 20 restricted or banned countries can still enter the U.S. for the tournaments. But the exception does not apply to fans, the State Department confirmed to Front Office Sports. The banned nations list includes Haiti, which will be playing in the Gold Cup. Cuba, which is on the restricted list, did not qualify.
The Gold Cup is the top tournament for CONCACAF, which is the federation for North American, Central American, and Caribbean teams. The Club World Cup has historically been a smaller tournament for the global governing body, but with its $1 billion purse and 32-team expansion, FIFA is throwing all its efforts at the U.S.-based tournament this year.
