ICE agents will be providing ‘security’ for the FIFA Club World Cup in Miami

Confusion surrounds the FIFA Club World Cup set to kick off in Miami this weekend after the Department of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and ICE announced they would be providing “security” for the event.

Inter Miami is poised to face Al-Ahly Sporting Club from Egypt on Saturday night, and it’s unclear who (if anyone) on behalf of FIFA or Hard Rock Stadium asked for the federal government’s security support. A now-deleted Facebook post by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection account asserted that the agency would be “suited and booted” for the event.

The vague language behind the statement is causing confusion on what role CBP and ICE will have at the game.

“The messaging that CBP is using is a bit cryptic, it’s sort of alluding that people should have their paperwork in order to attend the games,” said Thomas Kennedy of the Florida Immigrant Coalition. “It creates an environment where people are less likely to come watch the games because of just sheer intimidation.”

It’s extremely unusual to have border protection personnel serve as security for a sporting event. In the past, especially in the wake of 9/11 it was common for the Department of Homeland Security to provide logistical support — but there are no recent examples of ICE and CBP being “suited and booted.”

When asked about their role ICE told NBC6 in South Florida that all foreign nationals would need to have proof of their legal status, suggestion that some sort of checks are being made beyond simply supporting law enforcement.

Both FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Miami Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava have said they aren’t worried about ICE and CBP officers being present at the event. Infantino said:

“No, I don’t have any concerns about anything in the sense that we are very attentive on any security question, of course the most important for us is to guarantee security for all the fans who come to the games, this is our priority,” he said.

While Levine Cava added:

“We’re here to make sure people are safe, that’s our focus, to work with all of the law enforcement personnel, our safety personnel, and make sure they have a seamless experience,” Levine Cava said, in response to a question about the federal agents being at the game.

The presence of federal officers at the game raises myriad questions. Is this simply a response to the security problems at the stadium during the 2024 Copa America? Who authorized the presence of federal immigration officers to be part of the security detail? Is their purview to simply support existing security, or is this essentially a large-scale immigration operation being presented as event security?

A lack of transparency is causing serious concerns for fans planning to attend the game on Saturday night, and it remains to be seen what will transpire.