Trump’s anti-immigrant policies clash with promised World Cup ‘unity’

Washington, DC – A White House committee organising the 2026 World Cup successful the United States says the lawsuit volition beryllium a “global infinitesimal of unity”.

“We privation to marque definite that we’re arsenic welcoming arsenic possible,” Andrew Giuliani, the enforcement manager of the White House Task Force connected the World Cup, told reporters connected Wednesday.

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But US President Donald Trump’s escalating anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies are raising interest implicit Washington’s committedness of a welcoming tournament.

Giuliani talked up the US Department of State’s efforts to shorten hold times for interviews for visitant visas, allowing fans from crossed the satellite to travel to the US during the World Cup, which Mexico and Canada volition co-host.

Despite Giuliani’s assurances, helium besides confirmed that determination volition beryllium nary peculiar World Cup exemptions for fans from 19 countries that are nether a US question ban. He besides did not regularisation retired targeting undocumented immigrants for removal astir matches.

Daniel Norona, Americas advocacy manager astatine Amnesty International USA, slammed the US administration’s approach.

“You cannot person unity if you’re promoting discrimination, if you’re promoting repression, and if you’re pushing to soundlessness anyone who disagrees with you,” Norona told Al Jazeera.

“So I don’t deliberation that we tin telephone this a infinitesimal of unity if they are doing the other of what unity means.”

Travel ban

Two of the nations included successful the question prohibition – Haiti and Iran – are participating successful the tournament.

Asked repeatedly astir the question restrictions, Giuliani kept reiterating that players and nonstop enactment unit from banned countries volition beryllium issued visas, but that fans whitethorn not. “Visas are a nationalist information issue, each and each 1 of those there,” helium said.

But the US has already refused to contented visas for immoderate members of the Iranian delegation to be the World Cup radical signifier draw connected Friday.

Andrew Giuliani speaks to reporters successful Washington, DC,  connected December 3, 2025 [Sherry L Brukbacher/US State Department/Foreign Press Center]

Giuliani besides dismissed the effect of the question prohibition connected Haitian fans, noting that the nationalist team’s coach, Sebastien Migne, precocious said that helium has ne'er been to the Caribbean nation, which has been plagued by pack violence, humanitarian crises and earthy disasters.

Trump’s prohibition besides applies to Haitians extracurricular Haiti. And Norona highlighted that the crackdown could impact Haitians wrong the US who whitethorn privation to cheer connected their squad arsenic the Trump medication continues to rotation backmost immigration protections for the country.

Norona said Trump’s policies are the “antithesis” to the World Cup, which is synonymous with openness and welcoming radical from crossed the globe.

“We are acrophobic that this volition make a non-welcoming and wide hostile situation for the fans and players and everybody who is progressive successful the World Cup,” Norona told Al Jazeera.

Giuliani did not regularisation retired Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids targeting undocumented immigrants astatine World Cup venues.

The US is location to astir 14 cardinal radical without regular migration status, including galore from the football-loving Latino community, who person lived successful the state for years and established caller lives and families.

“I’ve known the president for 25 years,” said Giuliani, who is the lad of Trump’s erstwhile idiosyncratic lawyer, Rudy Giuliani. “The president does not regularisation retired thing that volition assistance marque American citizens safer.”

Norona said the immigration raids bash not marque anyone safe.

“They conscionable beforehand a chilling effect for the remainder of the fans and the remainder of the shot assemblage that privation to be their games,” helium said.

Trump’s ‘unique style’

It is not conscionable undocumented immigrants who person been connected the receiving extremity of Trump’s crackdown.

Over the past months, the medication has pushed to deport radical who are successful the state legally, including visitors, overseas students and permanent residents, implicit disapproval of Israel.

In summation to targeting dozens of students who participated successful Gaza solidarity protests, ICE agents arrested British commentator Sami Hamdi successful October and held him for 2 weeks earlier removing him from the state for his advocacy for Palestinian quality rights.

“The chilling effect present is not lone connected undocumented radical residing successful the US. The chilling effect is to anyone who mightiness explicit a discontent oregon a disagreement with the existent administration,” said Norona.

For his part, Giuliani stressed that it is simply a “fictional narrative” that Trump does not privation foreigners coming into the US.

“What he’s talked astir is helium wants to marque definite that radical tin travel into the United States legally. That way, we besides tin marque definite the games [and] different experiences are harmless and secure,” helium told reporters.

On Tuesday, however, Trump had launched an anti-immigrant tirade, calling Somali radical successful the US “garbage”.

Al Jazeera asked Giuliani astir Trump’s rhetoric and however it whitethorn clash with the connection of unity that US officials are emphasising astir the World Cup.

“The president has a unsocial style. I deliberation it’s wherefore he’s specified an effectual leader, to beryllium perfectly honest, and I deliberation it’s wherefore helium really is the consummate big for this unthinkable World Cup that is going to beryllium the largest successful quality history,” Giuliani said.

He went connected to suggest that Trump’s bigoted approach was a signifier of honesty.

“In presumption of the president’s rhetoric, he’s unsocial successful that regard. He’s a New Yorker similar me. Sometimes we accidental things that are a small antithetic than polished politicians,” Giuliani said.

“But I deliberation that’s besides wherefore he’s been capable to really truly get to the hearts of truthful galore Americans – due to the fact that helium is wholly honorable with them.”

Norona, however, said Trump’s comments nonstop a “discriminatory” and “racist” message.

“I don’t deliberation it’s style; it’s a deliberate prime of words,” helium added. “It’s thing that should beryllium reprehensible for everyone.”

Trump looks astatine the aureate mitt trophy adjacent to FIFA president Gianni Infantino aft Chelsea won against Paris Saint-Germain successful the FIFA Club World Cup final, astatine the MetLife Stadium successful East Rutherford, New Jersey, connected July 13 [Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters]

FIFA Pace Prize

Trump has been showing ample involvement successful the World Cup and shot generally. He attended the Club World Cup last successful New Jersey successful July, and helium has been regularly hosting FIFA president Gianni Infantino astatine the White House.

Last month, helium welcomed Portuguese prima Cristiano Ronaldo to a authorities meal successful Washington, DC, during the sojourn of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The US president volition besides be the tournament’s gully connected Friday, erstwhile the satellite shot governing assemblage volition contiguous its inaugural FIFA Peace Prize.

FIFA has been facing calls to request extortion for immigrants astatine shot matches. The organisation has besides been criticised for its adjacent ties with Trump.

During the Club World Cup, FIFA did not beforehand its accustomed antiracism messages astatine the tournament, a determination that appeared to beryllium successful enactment with Trump’s absorption to diverseness and inclusion programmes.

FIFA did not respond to Al Jazeera’s petition for remark by the clip of publication.

“FIFA’s alleged bid prize is being awarded against a backdrop of convulsive detentions of immigrants, national defender deployments successful US cities, and the obsequious cancellation of FIFA’s ain antiracism and anti-discrimination campaigns,” Minky Worden, who oversees athletics for Human Rights Watch, said successful a statement.

“There is inactive clip to honour FIFA’s promises for a World Cup not tainted by quality rights abuses, but the timepiece is ticking.”