World Cup tensions rise as Los Angeles stadium workers threaten strike over ICE presence
Union at SoFi Stadium warns of a potential walkout unless immigration agents are barred from the venue, citing fear among workers and fans, concerns over data sharing with FIFA, and growing political backlash ahead of the 2026 tournament in the United States, Mexico, and Canada
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The workers’ union at Los Angeles Stadium, which will host eight matches during the FIFA World Cup finals this summer, has threatened to go on strike unless it receives guarantees that there will be no Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, the enforcement arm of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s immigration policy, inside the venue.
The union “Unite Here Local 11,” which represents around 2,000 employees working at SoFi Stadium in food and hospitality services, resumed protests on Monday outside the stadium, demanding assurances that ICE agents will not be deployed at the site during the scheduled matches in Inglewood, south of Los Angeles, including the U.S. national team’s opening match on June 12 against Paraguay.
The union argues that the presence of these federal agents would create an atmosphere of insecurity for both workers and fans.
Isaac Martinez, a chef at the stadium, said during a protest outside the venue: “We don’t want to live in fear when we go to work, or with the worry of being stopped on our way home.”
Agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement are tasked with arresting and deporting individuals present in the country illegally who have been convicted by the courts. However, their operations, often described as brutal, have sparked a wave of outrage, which peaked after the killing of two protesters in January in Minneapolis in the northern United States.
The employees also expressed concern about the possibility of being required to provide personal information to FIFA in order to be able to work during the tournament, the first World Cup to feature 48 national teams, which will be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada from June 11 to July 19.
Yolanda Fierro, who works in the VIP boxes, said: “We are asking FIFA not to share our information or data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, with foreign countries, or with intelligence agencies.”
The protesters on Monday also received support from Tom Steyer, one of the leading candidates for the governor of California.
The Democratic billionaire, whose main campaign proposal focuses on taxing the ultra-wealthy, said: “These agents’ job is to monitor the borders (...) Can someone explain to me what that has to do with the World Cup?”