A coalition of immigrant and civil-rights groups warned international fans to reconsider traveling to Florida for FIFA World Cup matches, citing stringent immigration enforcement and detention sites referred to as “Alligator Alcatraz.” The advisory urges foreign visitors to carry ID and register with their consulates and warns of risks such as racial profiling and detainment. Seven matches are scheduled in South Florida; organizers say state enforcement practices and limited travel-ban exemptions for some countries justify caution. FIFA declined to comment and officials say fans are welcome.
Immigrant and Civil-Rights Groups Urge International Fans To Reconsider Florida Travel Ahead Of World Cup
CORAL GABLES, Florida — A coalition of immigrant and civil-rights organizations on Thursday urged international visitors to think carefully before traveling to Florida for FIFA World Cup matches, citing aggressive immigration enforcement and detention facilities they say include sites nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz.”
The groups gathered outside FIFA’s downtown Miami offices for a news conference and released an advisory recommending that foreign fans carry government-issued identification and notify their consulates before traveling to the United States for the tournament, which begins in June.
“We’re using this opportunity to really urge visitors and tourists to have a calculated move about whether or not they’re going to come,”
said Yareliz Mendez-Zamora, coordinator for the American Friends Service Committee, a social justice and humanitarian nonprofit.
Organizers said the advisory is not an immediate call for a boycott, but they left the option open if conditions do not improve. They highlighted the risk that some fans and community members could face racial profiling, detainment, or other enforcement actions while attending matches.
“What we don’t want is our fans being harassed by immigration enforcement when they’re just trying to attend the game,”
said Thomas Kennedy, a spokesperson for the Florida Immigrant Coalition. He added that the groups want public assurances that enforcement will not occur indiscriminately at World Cup events.
Dariel Gomez, a field organizer with ACLU Florida, said the advisory is intended to provide a "sobering reality check," not to spread panic. The groups also pointed to concerns about current U.S. travel bans and the limited exemptions some governments granted for sports delegations; they said exemptions reportedly did not apply to Haiti or Iran, both of which have ties to participating teams this year.
The White House formed a FIFA task force last year; reports say it includes Miami native Sen. Marco Rubio. A FIFA representative declined to comment when contacted. Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House World Cup task force, has said discussions about safety and enforcement are ongoing but did not rule out actions intended to protect U.S. citizens.
Seven World Cup matches are scheduled for South Florida. State critics highlight Florida’s stringent immigration laws and past instances where local and federal authorities coordinated enforcement actions, which the coalition said underpin their concern for visiting fans and local communities.
Similar travel advisories were issued by civil-rights and LGBTQ groups in 2023 after state policies limiting diversity, equity and inclusion programs and restricting certain school and health care guidance. Despite previous advisories receiving wide coverage, Florida recorded record tourism in 2023, according to state data.
Groups participating in Thursday’s advisory included the American Friends Service Committee, the Florida Immigrant Coalition, ACLU Florida, Florida Rising, and Semillas de Colombia.
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