Seattle Labor Groups Fear ICE Agents Will Expand Presence During FIFA World Cup

Ahead of the FIFA World Cup in Seattle, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are expected to take up security roles alongside other federal and local law enforcement agencies, with the Department of Homeland Security saying the staffing is a routine part of “what we do with every major sporting event.”

“President Trump's restrictive immigration policies are already impacting this year's 2026 FIFA World Cup”

HPPR

City officials have also been told that there are no specific planned civil immigration operations during the games, but Seattle labor groups and immigrant advocates are wary of having ICE agents present, possibly scaled up.

HPPR

C.J. Garcia, co-director of Organizing with Working Washington, said, “We have every right to actually fear that this administration might utilize this big cultural moment to try to double down on their harmful narratives about chaos, about safety, and about who deserves care and belonging.”

Garcia said she has seen a surge of ICE arrests in the suburbs and neighborhoods at the edges of Seattle, reportedly through the use of U.S. Customs and Border Protection access to license plate information via security cameras on roadways.

ICE said in a statement to KUOW, “Ensure every fan – Americans and visitors alike – has a safe and unforgettable experience… International visitors who legally come to the United States for the World Cup have nothing to worry about.”

In San Francisco, an immigration court shutdown is set to affect over 100,000 pending immigration cases, slowing their consideration and leaving more immigrants in limbo and at risk of deportation, according to NPR.

The closure is tied to the Justice Department’s decision not to renew the lease on the building at 100 Montgomery St., the main courthouse in San Francisco with 21 courtrooms, and NPR reports the move accelerated the shuttering that was supposed to happen at the end of the year.

KUOW

Bill Hing, a law and migration studies professor at the University of San Francisco, said, “It's part of the message that the Trump administration is sending, that they're not open to asylum seekers.”

NPR reports the closure sends 100,000 cases to the Concord Immigration Court, about an hour away across the San Francisco Bay, while about 17,000 cases stay at 630 Sansome St. in San Francisco.

Kathryn Mattingly, spokesperson for the Executive Office for Immigration Review, said, “Reducing the immigration court backlog remains a priority for the agency.”

In a separate immigration fight, a federal judge halted the deportation of 3,000 Yemen TPS holders, issuing an emergency order late at night that extended protections while a class-action lawsuit challenging the Department of Homeland Security’s decision proceeds.

“San Francisco immigration court shuts down, striking at heart of historic advocacy SAN FRANCISCO — The speedy shuttering of the main immigration courthouse in San Francisco affects over 100,000 pending immigration cases, slowing down their consideration and leaving more immigrants in limbo and at risk of deportation”

NPR

The order came just days before the work permits were set to expire, and the ruling is described as based on procedural shortcuts and humanitarian concerns tied to Yemen’s decade-long civil war and widespread famine.

Judge Ho agreed that the plaintiffs had shown a likelihood of success on the claim under the Administrative Procedure Act, and noted the government’s failure to rebut evidence showing ongoing unsafe conditions.

The article says the court order prevents a sudden loss of authorized workers and avoids the need to reverify I-9 forms, while also warning that the ruling does not grant a long grace period and could be overturned on appeal.

For the World Cup context, KUOW reported that ICE can stop people if they claim they have “reasonable suspicion” that someone could be in the country without federal authorization, including factors such as languages spoken, occupations, and skin color.