LOS ANGELES -- With the increasing presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other law enforcement agencies throughout Los Angeles and major cities across the country, and the FIFA Club World Cup and CONCACAF Gold Cup set to start this weekend, questions and concerns surrounding safety and impacts on the major sporting events have arisen.
Eleven major cities will host 32 football clubs from six continental confederations for the Club World Cup, while the first of the 16-team group stage matches for the CONCACAF Gold Cup will take place over the next two weeks. ICE has already been reported to appear at some matches in Miami, and state and local officials are expressing concern over the deployment of military forces to major cities.
As the nationwide protests for “No Kings Day” occur across more than 2,000 cities on June 14th, many wonder what the weekend matches will look like.
Flag Day or No Kings Day?
June 14th, otherwise known as Flag Day, has been declared “No Kings Day” as a day for national protests against the Trump Administration and the planned military parade scheduled in Washington, D.C, for the president’s birthday.
According to PBS, The “No Kings” theme was created by the 50501 Movement, a national movement that describes itself as “made up of everyday Americans who stand for democracy and against what they call the authoritarian actions of the Trump administration.” The name 50501 stands for 50 states, 50 protests, one movement.
Organizers intend for the protests to counter the Army’s 250th anniversary celebration, which happens to fall on the president's 79th birthday. The event will feature hundreds of military vehicles and aircraft and thousands of soldiers. “The flag doesn’t belong to President Trump. It belongs to us,” the “No Kings” website says.
Peaceful protests are scheduled to take place across more than 2,000 major cities and small towns across the nation to draw attention to the administration's immigration policies, treatment at detention centers, and citizens' right to privacy and protection. Los Angeles and several surrounding cities will host solidarity protests as well as cities where major FIFA and sporting matches are set to take place.
CONCACAF: Mexico vs Dominican Republic in Inglewood
The Mexican national team will play its opening match in the CONCACAF Gold Cup against the Dominican Republic at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood at 7:15 pm PT / 10:15 pm ET later today on Saturday, June 14, 2025. Although Inglewood is not listed as a city hosting a No Kings Day protest, Hawthorne and El Segundo, two cities less than 15 minutes away, have active protest plans for earlier in the day.
Mexico is hoping to win its third consecutive regional tournament after winning the Concacaf Nations League in March. More than 50,000 tickets for Saturday’s game against the Dominican Republic were sold in the weeks after El Tri’s March win over Panama, according to the newspaper Marca.
The ongoing protests have already had an impact as the Mexican National Team reportedly changed hotels due to safety concerns following the protests. The team had a hotel reserved in downtown Los Angeles, but were allowed by Concacaf to change to an undetermined hotel in Long Beach, Mexican team spokesman Fernando Schwartz told The Associated Press and ESPN's Omar Flores.
Mexico's president, Claudia Sheinbaum, spoke earlier this week, calling for a stop to the raids and protection for fans attending matches. "We don't believe that there will be any raids if there's a soccer game," Sheinbaum said at a news conference. "We hope there won't be any. We call for no action from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement."
CONCACAF released a statement ahead of the match. "Concacaf remains in close and ongoing communication with local authorities, host venues, and the participating national teams regarding the evolving situation in Greater Los Angeles."
"The safety and well-being of all participants, fans, and stakeholders is the Confederation’s highest priority. We will continue to actively monitor developments as we work toward delivering a world-class tournament that highlights the best of our sport in a safe, inclusive, and enjoyable environment for all, starting with the opening match on Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Los Angeles."
Over 1.2 million people of Mexican ancestry are estimated to live in Los Angeles in 2025, representing the largest ethnic group in the city. This figure is based on 2023 Census estimates for Los Angeles County, where 74% of the Hispanic/Latino population, which is 4.8 million, is of Mexican heritage according to the Los Angeles Almanac.
There has been no confirmation from CONCACAF that immigration enforcement will be present at SoFi; however, there were ICE raids throughout the city earlier this week. According to Inglewood Today, multiple arrests were captured on camera across residential streets and commercial corridors.
Club World Cup Background
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is a brand-new global soccer tournament meant to unite countries and leagues by having various teams compete in a multi-round tournament during the summer break of most league seasons. It will also be viewed by many as a preview test for how the United States will navigate major sporting tournaments as the country prepares to co-host the 2026 World Cup with Mexico and Canada, and host the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
12 venues will be used to host the 63 matches, which will be played across the United States throughout June and July. The final is scheduled to be played at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, and the opening match at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium. 32 clubs from six continental confederations will take part in the first edition of the tournament.
Two MLS teams- Inter Miami Football Club and Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) will represent the US league. AFC, CAF, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, OFC and UEFA will all be represented.
ICE at FIFA Club World Cup Matches and Travel Bans
The Trump administration announced a new travel ban last week, placing full restrictions on citizens of 12 countries entering the United States, as well as partial constraints on seven others, as part of an immigration crackdown. Although the order lays out an exemption for participants in major sports events such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 LA Games, it does not specify if the exemption applies to the Gold Cup and Club World Cup.
Those 12 countries include Haiti, who play Saudi Arabia in the Gold Cup on Monday at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, CA. The city's NWSL team, San Diego Wave FC, and MLS team, San Diego FC, are not scheduled to have any matches in the city this weekend. San Diego is listed as one of the cities participating in No Kings Day.
Los Angeles will also host matches for the FIFA Club World Cup, with Paris Saint-Germain taking on Atlético Madrid at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Sunday. In total, six matches will be played at the Rose Bowl over the next two weeks. Three of these matches will feature Mexican club Rayados de Monterrey.
The Rayados are scheduled to play Italy’s Inter Milan on June 17, Argentina’s River Plate on June 21 and Japan’s Urawa Reds on June 25, all at the Rose Bowl.
When asked if the games in L.A. and the current travel ban imposed by the Trump administration or the ongoing ICE raids across the country would affect the attendance of the Club World Cup, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said on Monday he was not concerned.
The FIFA President told reporters: "No, I don't have any concerns about anything in the sense that we are very attentive on any security question, of course, the most important for us is to guarantee security for all the fans who come to the games, this is our priority."
Cities outside of Southern California will face ICE enforcement at match venues, including the FIFA Club World Cup game on Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
A spokesperson for CBP told Newsweek: "U.S. Customs and Border Protection is committed to working with our local and federal partners to ensure the FIFA Club World Cup 25 is safe for everyone involved, as we do with every major sporting event, including the Super Bowl. Our mission remains unchanged."
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is also expected to be at the games, according to local Miami news outlet NBC 6 South Florida and ICE issued a warning to attendees and said people should carry proof of their legal status, NBC 6 reported.
Low Ticket Sales and Fan Fears
When the Club World Cup was announced, excitement sparked amongst soccer fans. The 2025 Club World Cup is the US's first taste of the major back-to-back global sporting tournaments that the country will host over the next three years. Now, ticket sales are low and fears amongst fans are spreading.
Announcements that ICE will be present at Miami's opener have resulted in a dramatic price reduction for tickets. According to The Athletic, FIFA and Miami Dade College are offering a discounted ticket deal for college students. Students can buy one ticket for $20 and get "up to four complimentary tickets" to Inter Miami's opening game. Non-college discounted tickets are going for less than $60 in an effort to fill a nearly empty stadium.
Thomas Kennedy of the Florida Immigrant Coalition told NBC6 South Florida that the social media post by CBP was "a bit cryptic, it's sort of alluding that people should have their paperwork in order to attend the games." He added that it may make potential fans "less likely to come watch the games because of just sheer intimidation."
Andrea Florence, executive director of the Sport & Rights Alliance, told BBC Sport: "If sport governing bodies turn a blind eye to the escalating rights violations in the US, sporting events risk not only reflecting those abuses, but actively deepening them. In LA, where major football matches are about to take place, protesters are being criminalized, journalists unlawfully targeted, and immigrant communities subjected to enforced disappearances and arbitrary detention."
League and Team Stances
Numerous MLS and NWSL teams have released statements regarding ongoing ICE raids and community protests. During an LAFC match at the beginning of the week, the supporters section hung banners and signs calling for the removal and abolishment of ICE from the city and advocating for protection for immigrants.
The WNBPA and NWSLPA, the players' associations for the Women's National Basketball Association and the National Women's Soccer League, shared a joint statement on June 11 regarding the detainment and deportation of families and individuals based on their immigration status.
"We're in the midst of a new season and an incredible moment for women's sports, but it's not lost on us that this country and the world are in turmoil right now," the statement begins. "Across the country, families are facing fear, hardship, and uncertainty tied to immigration."
"We stand with all people seeking safety, dignity, and opportunity, no matter where they come from or where they hope to go. Every person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. We know not every situation is simple. But offering compassion should never be up for debate."
Angel City Football Club, which has a match at BMO Stadium at the same time as Mexico takes on the Dominican Republic, issued a statement earlier this week. “We are heartbroken by the fear and uncertainty many in our Los Angeles community are facing right now,” the statement reads. “At Angel City, we believe in the power of belonging. We know that our city is stronger because of its diversity and the people and families who shape it, love it, and call it home.
Fans association Football Supporters Europe (FSE) told BBC Sport it is “deeply concerned” regarding the safety of fans and protections for human rights. The association urged FIFA, global soccer’s governing body, to use its influence to ensure that “the human rights and civil liberties of all attending fans are protected and respected.” They added, “The current policing approach in the US is wholly unfit for international sporting events. The continued use of excessive force against peaceful protestors is especially alarming. FIFA must act now.”
What’s happening in Los Angeles (timeline)
The city of Los Angeles has become a national focal point as hundreds of thousands of protesters take to the streets for the eighth day of demonstrations. The protests started over a week ago following an increase in immigration raids carried out by ICE agency under the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown directives.
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On June 6, ICE agents carried out a series of immigration sweeps across Southern California, with reports of federal agents surrounding people in a parking lot of a Home Depot in the Westlake neighborhood near downtown Los Angeles, according to ICE watchdog organizations in the area.
Around 3 p.m. local time, a crowd begins gathering in the downtown Fashion District after ICE agents show up at an apparel manufacturing business, according to ABC. Hours later, a large group of protesters gathered outside the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse downtown, calling for an end to immigration raids in the city. Police in riot gear are seen confronting protesters with batons and what appeared to be tear gas launchers. This is not the first time the community has protested in the downtown area. In early February, protesters gathered in front of courthouses and city hall, urging lawmakers to stop executive orders and in support of immigrant rights.
On June 7, around 6 p.m., Trump signed a presidential memorandum authorizing the deployment of 2,000 National Guard members to Los Angeles. The president said it is necessary to "address the lawlessness" in Los Angeles. City Mayor Karen Bass and California Governor Gavin Newsom immediately objected to the president's decision, saying it would only enflame tensions. Gov. Newsom has since sued the Trump administration after the president deployed the National Guard troops without authorization from the state.
Although the authority to call up the National Guard lies with governors, under Title 10 of the United States Code there are limited circumstances under which the president can deploy those troops such as when the country “is invaded,” when “there is a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government,” or when the president is unable “to execute the laws of the United States.”
On June 10, 2025, at 8 pm, Mayor Bass implements a curfew zone in effect from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. in parts of downtown Los Angeles roughly bounded by the 5, 10, and 110 freeways.
On Thursday, June 11th, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily blocked a federal judge’s order directing President Donald Trump to return control of National Guard troops to California.
The Trump administration has also ordered the deployment of 700 Marines to Los Angeles to undergo civil disturbance training. The Marines battalion, based at Twentynine Palms, will join the roughly 2,100 California National Guard soldiers protecting federal buildings and personnel during the ICE protests. The National Guard troops "can and have accompanied ICE on missions, but they are not a part of the operations. Title 10 forces do not do law enforcement functions. They protect; they don't participate," the U.S. Northern Command said Wednesday night.
Protests are scheduled to continue later today, on June 14th, for "No Kings Day"- the same day three major soccer matches are set to take place in Los Angeles County.
According to The Associated Press, the Los Angeles Police Department had made nearly 400 arrests and detentions since protests began through Thursday.