DeSantis says Florida is safe for tourists even as civil rights groups disagree

DeSantis calls the alert a political stunt

Gov. Ron DeSantis fired back at a new travel alert for Florida, calling the groups behind it “left-wing groups, not ‘civil rights’ groups.”

He said on social media that the organizations “are promoting a leftist agenda and are mad that Florida is beating them on the issues.”

Bryan Griffin, president and CEO of Visit Florida, backed him up.

Griffin called the advisories politically motivated stunts that try to harm the state’s tourism industry. He said lawful visitors can expect a safe trip.

Record tourism numbers back his case

DeSantis has numbers on his side. Florida welcomed about 34.4 million visitors in the second quarter of 2025, an all-time high.

The state also set an annual record of about 142.9 million visitors in 2024. Tourism brings in roughly $130 billion a year for the state’s economy.

DeSantis has also said Florida leads the country in net in-migration every year he has served as governor and that crime sits at a 50-year low.

White House won’t rule out ICE at games

The White House has left the door open on immigration enforcement at World Cup matches.

Andrew Giuliani, who runs the White House Task Force on the 2026 FIFA World Cup, declined to rule out ICE operations at games during a December 2025 briefing.

He said the president “has not ruled out anything that will make American citizens safer.”

Then in February, acting ICE Director Todd Lyons told Congress that ICE will play a role in World Cup security, though he specified the criminal investigations arm would handle it.

No official warning issued by government

No official government body has warned visitors away from Florida.

The U.S. State Department has not issued any travel warning for the state tied to immigration enforcement. Florida itself has not put out any safety warning for visitors.

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said international visitors who come legally “have nothing to worry about.”

Official travel advisory platforms do not list the U.S. under high-risk categories for foreign visitors over enforcement issues.

Civil rights groups issued the alert

A coalition of civil and human rights groups put out the statewide travel alert on Feb. 5, 2026. The groups include the ACLU of Florida, the Florida Immigrant Coalition, and the American Friends Service Committee.

They urged international visitors to exercise extreme caution, carry identification at all times, and register travel with their consulates.

The coalition also advised travelers to reconsider visiting Florida until enforcement practices become more transparent.

They said they are not calling for a boycott of the World Cup or of Florida.

Groups point to detention risks

The coalition said it has seen growing cases of visitors, lawful residents, and even U.S. citizens getting detained after encounters with law enforcement.

They warned that Florida’s expanded agreements between ICE and local police raise the chances of routine stops leading to detention.

The alert specifically flagged risks for people of color, visitors from Latin America, Africa, and Asia, and dual nationals.

Reuters could not independently verify the specific incidents described. The coalition pointed to civil rights litigation as the basis for its claims.

Every Florida sheriff works with ICE

All 67 county sheriffs in Florida have signed 287(g) agreements with ICE, which allow trained local officers to perform certain immigration enforcement duties.

Florida became the first state to require such broad cooperation between local and federal authorities.

The state’s Operation Tidal Wave, a joint state-federal effort launched in April 2025, led to more than 10,000 arrests in under eight months.

Civil liberties groups argue the arrangements can lead to over-policing, while supporters say they make communities safer.

Mexico warned its citizens in 2025

Florida has faced international pressure before. In July 2025, Mexico’s consul in Orlando urged Mexican nationals to avoid the state after two brothers with valid tourist visas were detained during a traffic stop.

The brothers ended up in a detention facility in the Everglades that critics have nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz.” Mexico’s government demanded their release.

Florida officials called allegations about conditions at the facility “completely false,” but the incident drew international attention.

Past advisories did not slow tourism

This is not the first time groups have warned people about visiting Florida.

In 2023, the NAACP issued a travel advisory saying the state was openly hostile toward African Americans. The League of United Latin American Citizens and Equality Florida put out similar warnings that year.

Those focused on education policies and civil rights concerns, not immigration. DeSantis called them “a pure stunt” at the time.

Florida’s tourism numbers kept climbing after those advisories came out.

Some call for a World Cup boycott

The pressure goes beyond travel alerts.

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter backed calls for fans to boycott U.S.-hosted matches in a January 2026 social media post. A vice president of the German soccer federation said it was time to seriously consider a boycott.

In the Netherlands, a public petition urging their national team not to participate gathered tens of thousands of signatures.

The boycott calls stem from broader concerns about U.S. immigration policy, not just Florida. FIFA has not publicly responded.

Miami hosts seven World Cup matches

Miami will host seven matches at Hard Rock Stadium, with teams like Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and Portugal set to play there.

The World Cup runs June 11 to July 19, 2026, co-hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The State Department created an expedited visa process for ticket holders.

But fans from Haiti, Iran, Senegal, and the Ivory Coast face travel bans or restrictions that may keep them from attending.

Lyons said ICE wants to make sure everyone at the venues has a safe event.

Both sides dig in with no resolution

DeSantis and state officials maintain Florida is safe and welcoming, pointing to record visitor numbers as proof.

The coalition says it wants to raise awareness, not spread fear, and wants FIFA to confirm enforcement will not happen around matches.

The Department of Homeland Security has not given a clear answer on whether enforcement operations will or will not take place near World Cup venues.

How the debate plays out could affect attendance and Florida’s tourism reputation heading into the summer.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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