Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents might be present for inspections at the CONCACAF Gold Cup in Los Angeles and the Club World Cup in Miami, per reports.
The Gold Cup in Los Angeles will host the matchup between Mexico and the Dominican Republic this Saturday, leading to speculation that ICE agents might be present as the city undergoes illegal immigration sweeps, which have sparked riots and protests. According to Front Office Sports, the FIFA Club World Cup in Miami, which kicks off this Sunday, may also see a noticeable presence of ICE agents.
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, ICE, and CBP did not immediately respond to questions about the Gold Cup, Club World Cup, or deleted post.
Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz said the department will be primarily focused on security and safety, with FIFA president Gianni Infantino expressing no concerns about security plans.
As Breitbart News reported in May, cities began cancelling Cinco de Mayo and other Hispanic-themed events for fear of ICE raids and deportations. Chicago resident Hector Escobar, president of the Casa Puebla and Cermak Road Chamber of Commerce, told CNN at the time that people in his community are “very scared” of gathering in public, with some even considering going back to Mexico.
“Our people are very scared,” he said. “Honestly, they’re saying they don’t want to go to work. They have to go to work because they have to feed their families. So, if they both were working, now one person is working.”
As to why he canceled the Cinco de Mayo parade in Chicago’s Little Village, which attracts up to 300,000 people annually, Escobar said that too many people are afraid.
“How about the parade? How about the festivities? And they say, ‘Well, if we’re scared to go to work, I don’t think it’s nothing to celebrate.’ So, that took us to the decision over money,” he said. “We see all over the country this picking up of people with no criminal records. And honestly, it’s a horrible way. We have seen, in my 45 years I’ve been living here in the United States.”
“Believe me, some people are already thinking about going back to Mexico,” he added. “The governor of Puebla, Alejandro Armenta, is going to open an office here in Chicago to help people who want to go back to Mexico and try to do some business or try to put the kids back to school in Mexico.”
Paul Roland Bois directed the award-winning Christian tech thriller, EXEMPLUM, which has a 100% Rotten Tomatoes critic rating and can be viewed for FREE on YouTube, Tubi, or Fawesome TV. “Better than Killers of the Flower Moon,” wrote Mark Judge. “You haven’t seen a story like this before,” wrote Christian Toto. A high-quality, ad-free rental can also be streamed on Google Play, Vimeo on Demand, or YouTube Movies. Follow him on X @prolandfilms or Instagram @prolandfilms.
