At the 68th FIFA Congress in Moscow, Russia, one day before the start of the 2018 World Cup, FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced, "Canada, Mexico, and USA have been selected by the FIFA Congress to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup!"
Nine years later, just weeks away from the international sporting event kicking off, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protesters outside of New Jersey's Delaney Hall have compelled Homeland Security Sec. Markwayne Mullin to threaten to pull Customs and Border Protection agents from several major airports in blue cities across America, particularly the Newark Liberty International Airport.
On May 26, he discussed the proposal publicly on Fox News, describing it as part of an effort to pressure jurisdictions that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
International airports rely on federal officers for inspecting passports and visas, processing arrivals and admissibility, and screening for customs violations and security risks. Without those agents, international arrivals could be delayed, rerouted, or effectively halted at those airports.
Sean Duffy, the U.S. transportation secretary, recognizes that removing those agents could throw a wrench into travel plans for the World Cup players, staff, and fans.
"We have people from around the world and around the country that need to be able to fly into all different kinds of places," Duffy noted during a congressional hearing before the House Budget Committee in May. "We shouldn't shut down air travel in a state that doesn't agree with our politics."
Four teams — Brazil, Senegal, Morocco and Haiti — are planning to have their base camps in the state of New Jersey, and all plan on calling the state home during the tournament.
The Garden State is not the only one whose airports would be affected if Sec. Mullin makes good on his threat. Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and Seattle could also see international travel halted at their gates.
With no plan currently in place, no teams have swapped their base camps. But if this proposal does go into action, people from all around the world will have to adjust accordingly.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off on June 11 in Mexico City. The first U.S. match will be played on June 12 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood (Los Angeles area), California.
