Federal Officials Assure No Civil Immigration Enforcement at LA World Cup Venues as Security Presence Is Sharply Increased

Federal officials told Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna that civil immigration enforcement will not take place at FIFA World Cup games or events in Los Angeles. Luna outlined the plans at a news conference on Monday, June 1, 2026, for the eight matches scheduled at the venue known as Los Angeles Stadium during the tournament.

SoFi Stadium will host the United States' opening game against Paraguay on June 12.

Iran will play its first group-stage match there on June 15, one of two Iranian games at the site. Luna said law enforcement will increase staffing around Iran's matches because of current world events. Luna said he personally called the head of Homeland Security for the Los Angeles region.

The official stated that federal agents will be present to secure venues and events but that civil immigration enforcement would not occur at any of the games. Luna added that the information is subject to change. Last month, workers at the stadium threatened to go on strike over fears of ICE agent deployment and demanded federal guarantees against their use.

Immigration raids by masked ICE agents in Los Angeles occurred last year. Isaac Martinez, a stadium cook, said at a protest: "ICE should have no role in these games. " Los Angeles is home to the largest concentration of Iranians outside Iran.

The United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28, and Iran and the United States are in negotiations to end their three-month-old war. Patrick Grandy, FBI assistant director in charge, said officials will monitor areas around facilities for violations of temporary flight restrictions.

"If a drone's violating a temporary flight restriction, the capability exists to bring that drone down into a safe location away from the crowds," Grandy said.

"We are going to be constantly monitoring the areas around the facilities, looking for violators of those temporary flight restrictions," he added, warning of a zero-tolerance policy for those who willingly violate the restrictions. Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman said the security effort will bring an unusually large law enforcement presence to the region.

"Between the dates of June 11th, all the way through July 19th, if you are a criminal, this is a terrible time to commit a crime," Hochman said.