The rights group wants FIFA to press the US government to halt immigration enforcement operations for the duration of the tournament, as broader concerns mount over the safety of foreign visitors.

Human Rights Watch has called on FIFA to negotiate a suspension of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations for the duration of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, citing the agency's central role in the Trump administration's immigration crackdown and deportation drive.

What HRW is demanding

The group wants a formal commitment — described as an "ICE Truce" — that would shield visiting fans, players, and officials from immigration enforcement action while the tournament is held on US soil. The call is directed at FIFA as the organising body, placing responsibility on football's governing authority to extract guarantees from the host government before the competition begins.

A crowded field of concern

The demand sits alongside a separate joint advisory issued by more than 120 rights organisations, led by the American Civil Liberties Union and Amnesty International, warning of "deteriorating human rights" conditions in the United States and urging protection measures for World Cup visitors. The White House dismissed that advisory as "scare tactics."

FIFA's standing with rights advocates has also been damaged by a separate controversy: the governing body awarded its inaugural Peace Prize to US President Donald Trump, a decision that drew criticism from football officials and players who accused FIFA of politicising sport.

Host-city backdrop

Not all World Cup news has centred on rights concerns. New York City's boroughs are set to host free fan events during the tournament, a measure aimed at offsetting what organisers acknowledge are steep ticket and travel costs. In Boston, the local host committee confirmed that tailgating will be permitted at all seven matches at Gillette Stadium after FIFA revised its earlier position on the practice.

Ticket pricing itself has drawn sustained criticism. FIFA's introduction of dynamic pricing and new premium-tier categories has been called "dystopian" and exclusionary by fans and industry figures alike, with the former Liverpool chief executive Peter Moore accusing the governing body of greed and of undermining the spirit of the competition.