LA sheriff confirms no ICE civil enforcement at World Cup matches after security briefing

Federal officials have assured Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna that civil immigration enforcement will not take place at World Cup matches or associated events in Los Angeles, where eight games are scheduled to begin on 12 June.

Sheriff Luna addressed the issue directly at a press conference alongside local, state, and federal law enforcement officials on Monday, responding to what he described as “reporting, or rumours, about ICE potentially being at the Fifa games or events.” He confirmed that federal agents would be present at venues for security purposes, but drew a clear distinction: “In regard to civil immigration enforcement, they told us that specifically would not be occurring at any of the games. Any of that is subject to change, but I have trust that they’re giving me the appropriate information because if that starts occurring, we’re going to have a whole new host of problems.”

The assurance follows immigration raids by masked ICE agents in Los Angeles last year that prompted widespread demonstrations across the city.

Security measures will be significantly heightened around Iran’s two matches in Los Angeles. Iran play their first tournament game on 15 June at SoFi Stadium, located in a region home to the largest concentration of Iranians outside Iran. Sheriff Luna acknowledged that “Iran does bring a different dynamic because of the current world events,” and confirmed additional staffing would be deployed for those fixtures, with authorities monitoring for potential protests near the stadium and fan zones.

Officials also announced a zero-tolerance policy on unauthorised drone usage near World Cup venues, with temporary flight restrictions expected around all facilities. FBI Assistant Director Patrick Grandy stated that the capability exists to bring down any drone violating those restrictions, adding: “We are going to be constantly monitoring the areas around the facilities, looking for violators of those temporary flight restrictions.”

Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman underscored the scale of the law enforcement presence planned for the tournament, which runs through 19 July. He issued a direct warning to would-be offenders: “If you are a criminal, this is a terrible time to commit a crime. The district attorney’s office will prosecute you, and you will be punished.”