Federal authorities have told Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna that there will be no civilian immigration enforcement at FIFA World Cup games or events in Los Angeles, after unions representing stadium workers staged protests over concerns about anti-immigrant crackdowns.
Luna outlined security plans for the eight World Cup games in Los Angeles on Monday, saying no U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents would be in the city during the tournament.
SoFi Stadium, known as Los Angeles Stadium during the World Cup, will host the opening game between the United States and Paraguay on June 12.
“A few weeks ago, there were reports and rumors that ICE might be participating in FIFA matches and events,” Luna said at a press conference.
“I personally called the Secretary of Homeland Security here in the Los Angeles area, and what he said was that federal agents would be coming…because it’s going to take all of us to make sure all the venues, all the non-covered events, are safe.”
“But when it comes to cracking down on civilian immigration, they told us that would not be done specifically in any game.
“Any of that could change, but I trust them to give us the right information, because if that starts happening, you’re going to have a whole new set of problems,” he added.
Last year, masked immigration raids by masked ICE agents in Los Angeles sparked a wave of demonstrations in the area.
Last month, stadium workers threatened to go on strike over the deployment of ICE agents and demanded federal guarantees that immigration agents would not be used.
Employees at the world’s most expensive sports arena said ICE’s presence would create a climate of fear for themselves and their fans.
“ICE should not be involved in these games,” stadium chef Isaac Martinez said at a protest outside the venue.
“We don’t want to live our lives afraid to go to work or afraid to be detained when we get home.”
Protests expected at Iran World Cup match
The venue will also be in the spotlight for hosting two of Iran’s three group stage matches amid rising tensions between Washington and Iran.
The United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28, sparking a regional conflict and raising concerns about the Iranian team’s participation in the tournament.
Iran and the United States are in talks to end their three-month war.
Luna said law enforcement had increased personnel around the Iran match, and authorities were monitoring possible protests and other activities near the stadium and fan zone.
Iran is scheduled to play its first match of the tournament on June 15 in Los Angeles, the area with the highest concentration of Iranians outside of Iran.
“With the current world situation, Iran is certainly bringing in different dynamics,” Luna said.
“Therefore, there will be additional personnel for some games.”
Drone usage restrictions
Officials also warned that drones will be subject to strict controls around World Cup venues, with temporary flight restrictions expected around the facilities.
“If a drone violates temporary flight restrictions, we have the ability to bring it down to a safe location away from crowds,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Patrick Grundy.
“We will continue to monitor the area surrounding our facilities and look for violators of the temporary flight restrictions,” Grundy said, warning of a “zero tolerance policy” for those willing to violate the restrictions.
Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman said the security measures will result in an unusually large law enforcement presence in the area.
“If you’re a criminal between June 11 and July 19, this is a scary time to commit a crime,” Hochman said.
“The District Attorney’s Office will prosecute you and you will be punished.”
