President Trump loosens border policies in preparation for World Cup

US President Donald Trump at the White House on March 28. Photo: THX/TTXVN

The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced on its Facebook account in early June that its officers would appear at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup matches taking place in July.

The CEO of the New York-New Jersey 2026 World Cup bidding committee, Alex Lasry, was surprised to read the announcement, fearing it could have a damaging impact on fan attendance.

The Trump administration's immigration policies also made headlines that week. Thousands of Marines and National Guard troops descended on Los Angeles, a hotbed of protests against the Trump administration's immigration policies.

Lasry reached out to the White House to express his concerns about the CBP post. Andrew Giuliani, the head of the president’s 2026 FIFA World Cup task force, reassured Lasry that the Department of Homeland Security would only have a routine presence at the FIFA Club World Cup. Giuliani also encouraged Lasry to calm worried fans. The CBP post was later deleted.

Preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico have reflected another angle of the Trump administration.

The White House welcomes foreign fans and maintains harmonious relations with neighboring countries, cooperating closely with many international organizations. This is an exception to “America First”.

According to Politico, President Trump used to own an American football club, so he has long been attracted to the glamour of sports competitions.

“As we all know, President Trump loves attention,” said Alan Rothenberg, who worked with former President Bill Clinton and was an architect of the 1994 U.S. World Cup. “What could be more eye-catching than the prospect of a couple of billion people watching you kick off the opening kickoff and present the World Cup to the winner?”

During his first term, Mr. Trump tried to bring the World Cup and Olympics back to the United States for the first time in decades. Now, in his second term, he has seized the opportunity.

But that would require the Trump administration to coordinate logistically complex events and rely on global cooperation and the free movement of international fans, which is in stark contrast to President Trump’s “America First” agenda.

When the White House issued an entry ban in June for citizens of 19 countries, President Trump made specific exceptions for athletes, coaches and support staff for the World Cup, Olympics and other major sporting competitions.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks in Miami, USA. Photo: THX/TTXVN

While US leader Trump has routinely ignored the United Nations, NATO and the World Health Organization (WHO), he has responded to the demands of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). FIFA President Gianni Infantino has been repeatedly welcomed and photographed in the Oval Office.

Giuliani has personally visited or worked with all 11 2026 World Cup host cities in the United States – most of them run by Democrats. While President Trump has threatened to cut federal funding to some of these cities, his revised budget would allocate funds to many of them to cover World Cup security costs.

Trump campaign strategist Alex Bruesewitz said: “For hundreds of years, sports has been a bridge connecting countries. And the president respects that very much.”

In March, President Trump signed an executive order establishing the FIFA World Cup Task Force, which includes Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The task force has become the central coordinating hub for a wide-ranging, largely behind-the-scenes operation between the White House, federal departments and agencies, foreign governments, and diplomatic staff at embassies around the world. Many U.S. embassies abroad already face long backlogs of visitors seeking visas, but now they must process paperwork for the 6.5 million fans expected to travel to the U.S., Mexico, and Canada next summer for the tournament that will feature the world’s top national soccer teams.

According to HA LINH/News and Ethnic Newspaper

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