A coalition of immigrant and civil rights organizations has warned international tourists against traveling to Florida for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, citing risks of detention and racial profiling by immigration authorities. The alert highlights concerns over aggressive enforcement tactics that could target fans, particularly people of color from Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Florida officials have dismissed the warning as a politically motivated stunt.
On February 4, 2026, a coalition including the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, the Florida Immigrant Coalition, the American Friends Service Committee, the Family Action Network Movement, and Semillas de Colombia issued a statewide travel alert. The advisory urges visitors to 'reconsider travel to the state,' emphasizing dangers to rights, liberty, and physical security amid reports of tourists and U.S. citizens being detained without cause for immigration purposes.
The warning focuses on the FIFA World Cup, set to begin in June 2026, with seven matches scheduled in South Florida at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. These include group-stage games such as Portugal versus Colombia, Saudi Arabia versus Uruguay, and Uruguay versus Cape Verde in June, as well as Brazil versus Scotland, a Round of 32 match, a quarterfinal, and the third-place match in July. The groups fear that enforcement tactics, involving federal and local agents, could escalate during the event, leading to unwarranted stops, questioning, or detentions based on appearance, accent, or nationality.
'Florida is no longer a safe destination for international tourists,' stated Tessa Petit, executive director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition, during a February 5 press conference outside FIFA's offices near Miami. 'When federal and local agents can detain anyone at anytime without cause and without identifying themselves, everyone is at risk.' She questioned whether attending a soccer match justifies the potential for 'being kidnapped and jailed until God-knows-when, in deplorable conditions, by a secret police who is using racial profiling.' The coalition advises travelers to exercise extreme caution, carry identification at all times, and register with their consulate before arrival, but stops short of calling for a boycott.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis responded on social media, labeling the alert a 'left-wing stunt' by groups 'mad that Florida is beating them on the issues.' Bryan Griffin, president and CEO of Visit Florida, echoed this, calling the advisories 'ridiculous and politically-motivated' and assuring that 'lawful visitors have no reason to be concerned.'
Internationally, Swiss attorney Mark Pieth, former chair of a FIFA oversight committee, urged fans to 'stay away from the USA,' telling Der Bund newspaper they might face immediate deportation if they displease officials. Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter agreed on social media, saying Pieth is 'right to question this World Cup.'
Advocates cite specific cases, such as a Mexican tourist detained during a traffic stop in Orlando and deported, and a German national held for over two weeks by Customs and Border Protection. They argue that state and local law enforcement, empowered by federal 287(g) agreements, turns routine interactions into immigration risks, even for U.S. citizens.
