Think twice about visiting Florida for World Cup, tourists warned

Groups issue travel alert for Florida

A coalition of civil rights and immigrant advocacy groups issued a travel alert for Florida on Feb. 5, aimed at international tourists heading to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The groups, including the ACLU of Florida and the Florida Immigrant Coalition, held a press conference outside FIFA’s offices near downtown Miami.

They urged visitors to carry identification at all times and register travel plans with their home consulate before arriving. The advisory has no legal force and did not come from a government agency.

Miami hosts seven World Cup matches

The alert centers on Miami, which will host seven World Cup matches at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens between June and July.

The lineup includes four group-stage games, a Round of 32 game, a quarterfinal, and the bronze final. Brazil, Uruguay, Portugal, Colombia, Scotland, Saudi Arabia, and Cape Verde are all scheduled to play there.

The 2026 tournament runs from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and is the first to feature 48 teams.

Coalition points to enforcement risks

The groups said international visitors, lawful residents, and even U.S. citizens have faced detention after encounters with federal and local law enforcement.

They pointed to Florida’s expanded partnerships between state agencies and federal immigration authorities. Tourists could run into enforcement agents during routine activities like traffic stops, the coalition warned.

The groups made clear they are not calling for a boycott of the World Cup or Florida. Their goal, organizers said, is to help visitors understand the risks.

Florida leads in local immigration enforcement

Florida stands out because every one of its 67 county sheriffs has signed agreements with ICE that let local officers help with federal immigration enforcement.

The Florida Highway Patrol and other state agencies have signed similar deals.

Florida is the first state to require state agencies to take part in street-level immigration enforcement with ICE.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has championed what the state calls Operation Tidal Wave, a partnership between state, local, and federal authorities.

Tourist with valid visa spent days detained

The coalition described the case of Carlos Gonzalez Meza, a Mexican tourist who held a valid U.S. visa.

He was detained during a traffic stop in Orlando and sent to a detention facility in the Everglades that critics have nicknamed Alligator Alcatraz.

He spent 10 days there before transfers to Miami and then Brownsville, Texas. He was eventually returned to Mexico after the case drew international attention.

In July 2025, Mexico’s consul in Orlando warned Mexican citizens to take extra precautions or avoid Florida entirely.

U.S. citizen also got caught up

The coalition also pointed to Juan Carlos Lopez, a U.S. citizen from Georgia.

Officers placed Lopez on an ICE hold after the Florida Highway Patrol stopped the car he was riding in.

He was eventually released after his mother brought a judge his state ID, birth certificate, and Social Security card. The coalition said cases like these show the risks go beyond undocumented people.

Some reporting has noted that not every detail of the cited incidents could be independently verified.

DeSantis calls the advisory a stunt

Gov. DeSantis pushed back on social media, calling the advisory a stunt by left-wing groups.

He pointed to past travel advisories other organizations have issued against Florida, saying tourism numbers disproved them every time. A spokesperson for DeSantis said the state is seeing record-breaking tourism.

DeSantis has been a vocal supporter of Florida’s enforcement partnerships with ICE and has shown no sign of backing away from them.

Miami dismisses the government warning

Bryan Griffin, president and CEO of Visit Florida, the state’s tourism marketing agency, called the advisories “politically motivated stunts that needlessly harm the state.”

Griffin said Florida remains a welcoming and safe destination for the hundreds of thousands of people who visit every day.

He added that tourists can expect a smooth travel experience and that the World Cup will be a secure event.

The U.S. Department of State has not issued any official travel warning tied to Florida or immigration enforcement for World Cup visitors.

White House leaves enforcement options open

The White House created a FIFA World Cup task force, with Andrew Giuliani serving as executive director.

At a December 2025 press briefing, reporters asked Giuliani whether the administration would rule out ICE operations at World Cup matches.

Giuliani said the president “has not ruled out anything that would make American citizens safer.” He added that the administration wants people to come to the United States legally for the tournament.

The task force also includes Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

FIFA says fans will be welcome

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has said fans from around the world will be welcome at the 2026 tournament. FIFA launched a program called FIFA PASS to help ticket holders get faster visa interviews.

But Secretary of State Rubio cautioned that a ticket does not guarantee a visa and that standard vetting still applies.

The State Department sent additional consular officers around the world to handle the expected surge in visa applications for the tournament.

Former FIFA president backed boycott calls

In January 2026, former FIFA president Sepp Blatter backed calls for fans to boycott U.S. World Cup matches. Blatter resigned from FIFA in 2015 during a corruption investigation.

He supported remarks by Swiss anti-corruption expert Mark Pieth, who urged fans to avoid the United States. A vice president of the German soccer federation also said it was time to seriously consider a boycott.

FIFA’s current leadership rejected boycott calls and said the tournament will go ahead as planned.

What the advisory tells travelers to do

The coalition advises international travelers to carry a passport and valid visa on them at all times.

Visitors should register their trip dates and location with their home country’s consulate in the U.S. before they arrive.

The groups also recommend keeping the contact information for the Florida Immigrant Coalition’s immigration rights hotline handy.

The coalition said it is not ruling out calling for a boycott in the future if safety concerns keep growing. The advisory carries no legal authority.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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