Florida is hosting part of the 2026 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Men’s World Cup. Canada, Mexico, and the United States will host the games across 16 cities from June 11 to July 19, 2026.

"Because Florida will host FIFA 2026 events, travelers should be aware of heightened risks and exercise extreme caution," warns a group of advocates including the Florida Immigrant Coalition (FLIC). The advisory offers safety recommendations for fans, tourists, and delegations planning travel and summarizes reported cases.

RECOMMENDATIONS — BEFORE TRAVEL

1. Consider postponing non-essential travel to Florida and other jurisdictions where aggressive immigration enforcement has been reported. If travel is essential, plan carefully.

2. Carry valid government-issued photo identification at all times. Foreign nationals should carry passports AND copies of any relevant U.S. visa documentation. U.S. citizens should carry proof of citizenship (e.g., passport or birth certificate)l.

3. Register travel plans with your embassy or consulate where applicable; save emergency consular contact information and the local U.S. emergency number (911).

4. Secure emergency legal contacts in advance — organizations that provide rapid support for detained travelers, local civil-rights groups, or immigration legal services. Save those numbers offline. Save the FLIC Hotline number, in case it’s needed.

5. Brief traveling companions on how to respond to enforcement encounters: remain calm, ask if they are free to leave, and avoid resisting. Travelers may politely decline to answer questions about immigration status while asserting their right to contact counsel and a consular representative (for non-U.S. nationals).

RECOMMENDATIONS — DURING AN ENCOUNTER WITH ENFORCEMENT

● Remain calm and avoid physical resistance. Record the interaction if in a public space and if it’s safe for you to do so.

● Ask to see official identification. If in doubt about an officer’s identity, state that you will cooperate after you are shown official credentials.

● If detained: immediately request to contact your consulate (if you are a foreign national) and request legal counsel. For U.S. citizens, assert your citizenship and request access to documentation.

● Document names, badge numbers, locations, and any witnesses as soon as it is safe to do so.

● If you are unable to document anything yourself, ask others to do so by recording, taking pictures, or taking down information in writing.

● If you so people around your recording, yell your name and nationality, and ask them to send the video to your consulate or embassy.

ASSISTANCE AND RESOURCES

● Florida Immigrant Coalition (FLIC) Hotline 1-888-600-5762

● Landing page

● Know Your Rights

DOCUMENTED CASES AND INCIDENTS

● Thomas, a 35-year-old tech worker and father of three from Ireland, came to West Virginia to visit his girlfriend last fall. It was one of many trips he had taken to the US, and he was authorized to travel under a visa waiver program that allows tourists to stay in the country for 90 days. He was detained by ICE in three different facilities, ultimately spending roughly 100 days behind bars with little understanding of why he was being held – or when he’d get out.

● Jasmine Mooney, a Canadian national detained in ICE custody for two weeks, reported feeling that she had been kidnapped. After her visa had been approved, she traveled to the US only to have her visa instantaneously revoked upon arrival by a border officer. There was no explanation, no warning. An officer led her to a room, took her belongings, and ordered her to put her hands against the wall. In no time, she was in jail, in a freezing cell, with inadequate food and no phone call.

● Jessica Brösche, a Berlin-based tattoo artist, had been vacationing in Mexico when she decided to travel to the US from Tijuana with an American friend, Nikita Lofving. But at the San Ysidro port of entry, immigration authorities took Brösche into custody. She was detained and jailed. After 9 days, she began punching a wall out of frustration, which landed her in solitary confinement for 8 days. Her detention lasted over a month.

● Lucas Sielaff, 25, of Germany, said U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers put him and his American fiancée in handcuffs after they tried to enter the San Diego-Mexico border from Tijuana. “They accused me [of living] in America instead of visiting, but there was no proof that I overstayed anything.” He was in jail for over 2 weeks.

● Rebecca Burke, a British tourist on a four-month backpacking trip around North America, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the US for 10 days after trying to enter the country via the Canadian border on a valid tourist visa. She was handcuffed and put in a cell before being taken to the Tacoma Northwest detention facility in Washington state. She was held for over 10 days in deplorable conditions.

● Alistair Kitchen, an Australian man, was detained upon arrival at Los Angeles airport and deported back to Melbourne after United States border officials told him it was due to his writing on pro-Palestine protests by university students. He was detained for 12 hours and interrogated by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials during the stopover in Los Angeles. The 33-year-old said he was “clearly targeted for politically motivated reasons” and said officials interrogated him about his views on Israel and Palestine, including his “thoughts on Hamas”.

● Carlos Martin Gonzalez, a Mexican tourist, had a valid tourist visa and a ticket to fly home on July 15. He was detained during a July 7 traffic stop in Orlando and sent to Alligator Alcatraz. He described the conditions there as inhumane. He was shackled inside the airplane in which he was sent back to Mexico, after his case garnered international attention.