AN AMERICAN CIVIL rights group has called on Fifa to protect fans, workers and players from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers at the World Cup which gets underway on Thursday.
Over 13,000 people have signed a petition from Move On Civic Action demanding that ICE are not able to harass or intimidate those attending matches, while they also want protection from potential enforcement actions by ICE.
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Law enforcement officials in Atlanta, Seattle, and Los Angeles have stated they will not cooperate with ICE operations around the World Cup.
The petition comes after Todd Lyons, acting director of ICE, stated earlier this year that agency personnel would play a “key part” in security operations around major events, raising concerns about the safety and accessibility of World Cup venues nationwide.
Co-hosts Mexico face South Africa in the Azetca Stadium on Thursday while South Korea are in action against Czechia in Guadalajara afterwards.
Canada welcome Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday while the United States begin their campaign against Paraguay the same night. That fixture takes place at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, and The New York Times reported on Wednesday how workers there were able to thrash out a new labour agreement that would allow them walk off the job if they feared for their safety due to the activities of ICE.
The workers had threatened strike action over a number of issues.
“If FIFA truly believes in the unifying spirit of the World Cup and its promise that ‘football is for everyone’, then it must act now to guarantee the safety and dignity of the millions of people who will attend, work, and participate in the World Cup,” the petition states.
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Civil rights group calls on Fifa to stand firm against ICE agents at World Cup
AN AMERICAN CIVIL rights group has called on Fifa to protect fans, workers and players from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers at the World Cup which gets underway on Thursday.
Over 13,000 people have signed a petition from Move On Civic Action demanding that ICE are not able to harass or intimidate those attending matches, while they also want protection from potential enforcement actions by ICE.
Law enforcement officials in Atlanta, Seattle, and Los Angeles have stated they will not cooperate with ICE operations around the World Cup.
The petition comes after Todd Lyons, acting director of ICE, stated earlier this year that agency personnel would play a “key part” in security operations around major events, raising concerns about the safety and accessibility of World Cup venues nationwide.
Co-hosts Mexico face South Africa in the Azetca Stadium on Thursday while South Korea are in action against Czechia in Guadalajara afterwards.
Canada welcome Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday while the United States begin their campaign against Paraguay the same night. That fixture takes place at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, and The New York Times reported on Wednesday how workers there were able to thrash out a new labour agreement that would allow them walk off the job if they feared for their safety due to the activities of ICE.
The workers had threatened strike action over a number of issues.
“If FIFA truly believes in the unifying spirit of the World Cup and its promise that ‘football is for everyone’, then it must act now to guarantee the safety and dignity of the millions of people who will attend, work, and participate in the World Cup,” the petition states.
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