The FIFA World Cup is somewhat over 50 days away. NPR’s Rob Schmitz talks to former Division of Homeland Safety official Juliette Kayyem concerning the safety issues individuals have about internet hosting the event in America on this second.
ROB SCHMITZ, HOST:
Followers and gamers will hear the primary whistle on the FIFA World Cup on June 11. However given the Division of Homeland Safety’s greater than two-month shutdown, many individuals are involved about whether or not America’s able to host this occasion. Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen pressed DHS management throughout a Senate listening to final week.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: There’s nonetheless an open query as as to if or not all of the FIFA World Cup gamers will have the ability to take part in U.S. matches.
SCHMITZ: And that is simply certainly one of a number of issues. Haiti has certified for the World Cup for the primary time in 50 years, however Haitians are barred from coming to America via a journey ban. Iran has additionally certified. Will its gamers be allowed to come back? Residents from quite a lot of different international locations who certified may should pay a $15,000 bond to enter the U.S., and we have not even began speaking about ticket costs. Van Hollen mentioned the issues are usually not simply coming from followers.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
HOLLEN: Even prime officers with FIFA are involved concerning the dangerous impression ICE operations would have on the World Cup fan expertise.
SCHMITZ: To raised perceive the state of all this, we referred to as up Juliette Kayyem. She served at DHS underneath the Obama administration. She additionally works to assist cities put together for mega occasions just like the World Cup. Juliette, welcome to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED.
JULIETTE KAYYEM: Thanks for having me.
SCHMITZ: So we’re within the third month of what’s now the longest partial authorities shutdown in historical past. It slowed the work that the federal government must do to organize for the World Cup. What does this imply for followers and groups taking part within the World Cup right here on U.S. soil?
KAYYEM: Properly, we nonetheless do not know but, to be honest. However look, there’s not like a – a kind of a federal FIFA preparedness equipment. Every of those occasions goes to be participating in certainly one of 11 host U.S. cities over the course of virtually six weeks – 78 matches in the USA. And every of these is ruled by, you recognize, regardless of the metropolis has in place at this stage.
The federal authorities and the DHS overlay is to assist these cities – as a result of these are massive occasions – handle, you recognize, federal belongings, request info, intelligence. They might know assist with drone excursions, which is kind of within the federal equipment. So there are nonetheless some elements by way of preparedness planning. There are nonetheless going to be some gaps, and we simply merely, proper now, do not understand how these are going to be stuffed.
SCHMITZ: So, I imply, you talked about 11 host cities right here in the USA. What are you listening to instantly from officers in these cities?
KAYYEM: So I need to divide kind of their issues into two totally different elements. So the primary is simply you are holding an enormous occasion, and there are dangers on the market.
SCHMITZ: Proper.
KAYYEM: And people dangers are going to be acquainted to listeners – terror, climate, drones, cyber, crowd crush, crowd management – all of the belongings you fear about whenever you convey lots of people collectively.
I name this second group – I do not know what to name them. I name it the signs-of-our-time threats, and there is normal hostility to the U.S. and the warfare and the way in which that the administration has launched into its international coverage with each our allies and enemies.
SCHMITZ: I hate to place you on this place, however I am questioning in the event you’ve seen, is there a metropolis that’s extra prepared than the opposite cities, like a mannequin metropolis?
KAYYEM: I will not say one is healthier than the opposite, however the one that everybody’s by way of each its enthusiasm to carry it, its investments, together with its security and safety investments, is Kansas Metropolis. It is – somebody from FIFA informed me it is kind of the sleeper metropolis on this regard.
SCHMITZ: Does FIFA appear to be involved about this?
KAYYEM: FIFA’s public place is all methods go. And I’ve to confess, I have been within the mega occasion planning subject lengthy sufficient that the criticisms, the complaints, the crankiness that you just’re listening to now could be very acquainted. It occurs earlier than each Olympics. It occurs earlier than each Tremendous Bowl. I feel the factor I do hear that they’re fearful about is I feel the hole between what they have been hoping and the hole of what they’re fearful about. You need to bear in mind, FIFA gave the video games to North America. That is Canada, the USA and Mexico.
SCHMITZ: Proper.
KAYYEM: It was a imaginative and prescient of North America that we will not even put your head round it now. It was this concept that these three international locations as allies would unify, and also you’d have kind of cross-border collaboration. Properly, that is not taking place. We all know the place the Trump administration is on that. And so now you kind of have, you recognize, kind of three totally different international locations with their immigration and, you recognize, Mexico with its cartel violence. It is that unknown that they’re fearful about.
The administration can do lots to placate these worries not only for FIFA, but additionally for residents who – and the cities which can be going to be internet hosting them. It is not simply the video games. These cities are internet hosting – eventually rely, I feel there have been 600 occasions associated to the FIFA footprint in the USA alone this summer season. And I feel worries about immigration particularly and immigration enforcement are respectable and are not going to go away over the course of the summer season.
SCHMITZ: I am placing myself within the sneakers of, you recognize, somebody from Central America who needs to observe their staff right here on U.S. soil. They’ve seen what has occurred in Minneapolis, in cities throughout the nation. How are they going to really feel once they get on a airplane to come back to both Kansas Metropolis or any of the host cities in the USA?
KAYYEM: Individuals are making selections about the place they go to on what they really feel their expertise will likely be right here in the USA. And that’s certainly one of hostility, certainly one of worry, certainly one of kind of the unknown. You can simply be strolling down the road and then you definitely’re deported or – that may be good – otherwise you’re detained for some time period.
However, you recognize, look, we have constructed our unwelcome mat for some time now. And now we have seen these numbers plummeting about who needs to come back to the U.S. both as a result of they do not like our politics proper now, or they’re legitimately nervous concerning the expertise of both going via an airport or within the inside. And I do not – there are followers who will overcome these fears, however there are a lot of who would possibly determine, that is the World Cup we will sit out.
SCHMITZ: And you recognize, we’ve not even talked about but the residents from quite a lot of international locations who are usually not even allowed to enter America. You understand, FIFA has a particular visa program referred to as the FIFA PASS, you recognize, however a whole lot of followers are fearful that they don’t seem to be going to have the ability to come. How legitimate are their issues?
KAYYEM: These are legitimate ‘trigger the journey guidelines and prohibitions or the worth construction nonetheless exists. There isn’t any exception for a fan. There’s even typically no exception for a member of the family. The coaches and athletes are exempted from these bans. These prohibitions are inconsistent with the spirit, if not the letter of what it meant to need to be the host nation. And that’s one thing that the USA cannot defend. I imply, we informed FIFA we needed to host these occasions, and that comes with an obligation that our politics or our immigration guidelines won’t hinder these followers.
SCHMITZ: So in some, you recognize, we will see the groups from Haiti and Iran perhaps come to the USA, however we won’t see their followers.
KAYYEM: Precisely. The prohibited international locations – their followers do not need an exception.
SCHMITZ: So we have been speaking lots about geopolitics proper now, however the soccer group right here has been wanting ahead to this summer season as a second to – you recognize, to lift consciousness of the sport. You understand, for a very long time, America’s been seen as the ultimate frontier for soccer. You understand, FIFA might or might not have seen these challenges coming, however do you suppose it is a good time for international enlargement right here within the U.S., given all of those challenges?
KAYYEM: I feel it’s, and I am enthusiastic about it. I assume I’ve to be ‘trigger I like these occasions. However there’s something concerning the occasion and the worldwide nature of the occasion and these international locations that we barely know bringing their groups and the competitors that truly unifies. I am cautiously optimistic that a whole lot of these points will get resolved, however we’ll all the time have the background noise of our occasions, which is the USA has not thrown out a welcome mat to the world. And so far as we are able to inform now, not a lot will change earlier than the World Cup.
SCHMITZ: So earlier than we allow you to go, I needed to faucet into your expertise on the DHS underneath the Obama administration. We have got a shutdown, and it is having a large impression on DHS, not simply, you recognize, about its position within the World Cup. What’s the long-term impression of a continued stalemate in Congress over this?
KAYYEM: I feel the longest-term impression goes to be personnel. Why would you’re employed at a spot through which you aren’t getting paid frequently? We’ll really feel it by way of the preparation and the planning that DHS is liable for, for not simply mega occasions however for hurricanes, and now we have threats from Iran and China. I imply, we’re a rustic that may proceed to have dangers, and the equipment – the skilled equipment is dissipating due to these debates.
And the arduous factor about measuring it’s we can’t miss it till we’d like it. Proper now, you recognize, sure, I can get via my airport traces. And sure, every little thing appears superb. However when the hurricane comes or the fear assault comes, you are going to want that we had been extra ready. So we might not understand it till we wish it.
SCHMITZ: That is Juliette Kayyem. She was the assistant secretary for Intergovernmental Affairs at DHS underneath the Obama administration. Thanks.
KAYYEM: Thanks.
Copyright © 2026 NPR. All rights reserved. Go to our web site phrases of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for additional info.
Accuracy and availability of NPR transcripts might fluctuate. Transcript textual content could also be revised to right errors or match updates to audio. Audio on npr.org could also be edited after its unique broadcast or publication. The authoritative report of NPR’s programming is the audio report.
