{"id":31966,"date":"2026-04-15T14:48:39","date_gmt":"2026-04-15T12:48:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/?post_type=news&#038;p=31966"},"modified":"2026-04-15T14:48:39","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T12:48:39","slug":"fifa-to-ask-trump-to-pause-ice-raids-during-world-cup-report","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/news\/fifa-to-ask-trump-to-pause-ice-raids-during-world-cup-report\/","title":{"rendered":"FIFA to ask Trump to pause ICE raids during World Cup: Report"},"content":{"rendered":"<div dir=\"ltr\" data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\">FIFA\u2019s leadership discussed the possibility of its president, Gianni Infantino, asking United States (US) President Donald Trump to pause Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids during this summer\u2019s World Cup in North America, according to a report from The Athletic.<\/div>\n<div id=\"x_ms-outlook-mobile-signature\">\n<div dir=\"ltr\"><\/div>\n<div>Infantino was receptive to the idea and was planning a \u201cPresident-to-President\u201d request to Trump for ICE\u2019s role surrounding the World Cup to be reduced, per the report.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\"><\/div>\n<div>It has not yet been reported if Infantino has formally made the request or how Trump and the US administration would respond.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\"><\/div>\n<div>During Trump\u2019s second term, ICE has raided multiple US cities in an effort to deliver on the President\u2019s message of mass deportation he campaigned on ahead of the 2024 election.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\"><\/div>\n<div>In addition to deportations, these raids have led to conflicts with protestors, including the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti earlier this year in Minneapolis.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\"><\/div>\n<div>Acting ICE (US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement) director Todd Lyons previously said agents would be involved in security at matches for this summer\u2019s event, the largest World Cup in FIFA history with 48 teams.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\"><\/div>\n<div>Members of Congress have raised concerns about ICE\u2019s presence surrounding the World Cup leading instead to immigration-enforcement raids.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\"><\/div>\n<div>Los Angeles-based workers at SoFi Stadium where the US team will play two of its three group-stage games, threatened to strike last week over similar concerns.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\"><\/div>\n<div>According to the report, a number of FIFA member federations, particularly in Europe, have shared their concerns about the presence of ICE agents around the event.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\"><\/div>\n<div>FIFA originally believed that limiting ICE activity in the 11 American cities that will be hosting matches would suffice.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\"><\/div>\n<div>However, with travel expanding well beyond those locations with teams setting up base camps across the country in cities that won\u2019t be hosting matches, FIFA now desires a total suspension of all ICE raids during the entire World Cup, which is being held from June 11 through July 19.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\"><\/div>\n<div>Trump and Infantino have struck up a relationship which could pay off with the request being honoured.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\"><\/div>\n<div>FIFA has an office in New York\u2019s Trump Tower and the organization gave the President the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize in December during the World Cup draw event.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\">\u2014Reuters\u2014<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":21069,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"news-type":[20],"class_list":["post-31966","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-type-sport","entry"],"acf":{"short_description":"Trump and Infantino have struck up a relationship which could pay off with the request being honoured.","published_date":"","news_description":"Trump and Infantino have struck up a relationship which could pay off with the request being 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