"I think twice": like Emile, a Haitian living in Ohio, part of the immigrant community in the United States fears going to see a match of the 2026 World Cup and being arrested there by the federal immigration police (ICE).

"Singing my country's national anthem in a stadium and in front of the whole world is a historic moment that no one would want to miss," this truck driver in his forties, who does not wish to give his last name for security reasons, told AFP.

"But, at the same time, I think twice. I wouldn't want to be arrested by ICE. My lawyer advised me against flying so I wouldn't get caught at the airport," he explains.

The armed wing of the Trump administration's anti-immigration policy, ICE agents are tasked with arresting and deporting undocumented immigrants convicted by the courts. But their operations, deemed brutal, have provoked a wave of outrage that culminated after the deaths of two protesters in Minneapolis (northern Minnesota) in January.

"Today, people are very careful and they don't feel safe. They are afraid, we have seen very aggressive operations (by ICE) that have targeted not only undocumented people, but also people with protected status," observes Monica Sarmiento, who leads the Virginia Coalition for Immigrant Rights.

When questioned by AFP, she emphasized that "70% of the people arrested, detained and deported have no criminal record. Many of them have been living (in the United States) and paying taxes for decades."

- "Climate of fear" -

Monica Sarmiento denounces the "climate of fear and hostility throughout the country, and not just during the World Cup but every day".

According to Human Rights Watch, an asylum seeker who came with his children to attend the Club World Cup final last summer in New Jersey was arrested by ICE and deported to his country of origin.

The majority of matches (78 out of 104) will be played in the United States, which co-hosts the competition with Canada and Mexico (June 11–July 19). The Hispanic community is projected to represent 20% of the US population in 2024, making it the country's largest minority. It is concentrated in California, Texas, and Florida, as well as in major cities like Miami, Los Angeles, Dallas, and New York.

The Haitian community (approximately 850,000 people in 2024), present particularly in Miami and New York, is also threatened. The federal government wants to end the temporary protected status—which Emile enjoys in Ohio—that prevents their deportation to their country, one of the poorest in the world and ravaged by political instability, economic crisis, and gang violence.

Some organizations also fear that ICE will target foreign tourists visiting the country for the competition, around stadiums or in the city, in the many festive areas where fans will gather.

- "No reason to worry" -

More than 120 American associations, including the influential civil rights organization ACLU, issued a "travel advisory" at the end of April against possible "serious violations of their rights".

They expose themselves in particular, they specify, to "a risk of arrest and detention and/or deportation (and) racial profiling" as well as "cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment - and even death - in ICE custody".

ICE, one of the many departments of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has long been involved in the security arrangements for major sporting events such as the Super Bowl.

"International visitors who come legally to the United States for the World Cup have no reason to worry," a spokesperson for the department told AFP, asserting that "what makes someone a target for immigration services is being in an irregular situation."

When questioned by AFP, FIFA, the world football governing body, asserted that it "is committed to respecting all internationally recognized human rights and strives to promote the protection of these rights."