To protect foreign travelers, the United States should not host the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The United States is set to host 78 of 104 matches in June; however, the U.S. is currently in a state of political unrest, and travel here poses a threat to attendees.
Recently, President Donald Trump has carried out his campaign promise of deporting undocumented immigrants through Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
In September 2025, the Supreme Court temporarily ruled in Vasquez Perdomo v. Noem that ICE may use factors such as race, language, employment, and more to essentially racially profile in their search for undocumented individuals.
This creates fear and uncertainty for the millions of fans who attend the World Cup.
Many people argue that detention is only a concern for people who are undocumented or criminals.
However, the Vasquez Perdomo v. Noem order creates a threat to foreigners, as they may be stopped on the streets and possibly even detained, just because of their physical attributes.
This problem deepens when people are denied due process and do not have a chance to prove their citizenship.
The government does not share the number of American citizens wrongfully detained, so ProPublica started a count, and as of October 2025, “found more than 170 such incidents during the first nine months of President Donald Trump’s second administration.”
These citizens are often later released, but not before undergoing traumatic experiences.
“George Retes, an American combat veteran,… was detained for three days without access to a lawyer and missed his daughter’s third birthday,” said ProPublica.
Another citizen, Jose Roberto Ramirez, was ripped from his aunt’s car and detained by ICE agents in Minneapolis on January 8, 2025, according to The News Movement.
He is half Mexican and half Native American, a descendant of the Red Lake Nation, so he “thought I didn’t have anything to worry about because I’m a U.S. citizen,” said Ramirez.
The agents did not check his identification before taking him, though, even as his aunt yelled that they were Native Americans.
Putting foreigners in a position to be taken from their families or abused, possibly, is unfair to the millions of fans who look forward to attending the World Cup, which only occurs every four years.
In 2018, the North American joint bid won the opportunity to host with 134 votes, while Morocco received 65 votes, according to the New York Times.
In order to protect fans, Morocco should host the World Cup instead.
