AT&T stadium, located in Arlington, Texas, will host nine World Cup matches this summer.
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will be deployed in cities that are hosting World Cup matches this summer, which include Dallas-Fort Worth.
Todd Lyons, the acting director of ICE, testified before the House Committee on Homeland Security on Tuesday, when he was asked if ICE would commit to pausing operations around the event.
In response, Lyons said that ICE will play a major role in World Cup security.
“ICE, specifically Homeland Security Investigations, is a key part of the overall security apparatus for the World Cup,” Lyons said. “We’re dedicated to securing that operation and to ensuring the safety of all participants and visitors.”
The Homeland Security Investigations arm of ICE primarily deals with transnational criminal investigations, while the Enforcement and Removal Operations arm is responsible for detaining and deporting undocumented immigrants.
Lyons didn’t elaborate further on ICE’s role throughout the FIFA tournament.
The announcement comes at a time when Dallas residents are demanding more transparency around ICE operations in the city and pushing back against building detainment facilities in surrounding areas.
Hundreds of DFW students and residents have also protested ICE after federal agents shot and killed two civilians, Alex Pretti and Renee Good, in Minnesota in January.
As tensions over immigration enforcement operations continue to grow across the country, Democratic members of the Homeland Security Task Force overseeing World Cup security have sent a letter to US Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Austin), chairman of the task force, calling for an emergency hearing to discuss whether ICE activities will threaten the success of the World Cup.
“DHS’s out-of-control operations in Minneapolis and refusal to guarantee a safe and secure World Cup free of militant ICE operations jeopardize the safety of the general public, put the security of foreign travelers at risk, and erode the United States’ reputation as a welcoming host,” the letter to McCaul reads. “Hosting the World Cup is a generational opportunity to illustrate to the global community the very best of America, and we only have one chance to get it right.”
In January, Dr. Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the US White House Task Force for the 2026 World Cup, visited Dallas and was asked about immigration enforcement but declined to outline specific plans, according to WFAA.
The tournament will take place from June 11-July 19, and nine games will take place in Arlington, including the semi-final.
