US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will not be seen at World Cup matches this summer, according to the co-chair of the Miami host committee, Rodney Barreto.

Barreto said on Thursday that he received reassurances from Secretary of State Marco Rubio that ICE would steer clear of the football showcase. “ICE is not going to be at the stadium. This is not going to turn into some ‘round them up’ type of thing,” Barreto told The Athletic.

Barreto added that Rubio would ensure passports are processed and an orderly process is in place. “We feel very comfortable that we’re going to be in good hands,” he said.

The deployment of ICE for immigration enforcement raids has increased since Donald Trump began his second term, sparking significant political debate in the US.

South Florida’s role as a World Cup host also comes against the backdrop of the 2024 Copa America final chaos, when fans stormed the gates at Hard Rock Stadium, causing injuries and delaying the match.

Barreto acknowledged lessons learned from that incident, saying new scenarios have been developed to prevent such occurrences in the future.

Source: www.aljazeera.com