Congress suspends immigration enforcement during World Cup—but only for 39 days.
H.R. 7982 — Protect World Cup Attendees Act · Filed by LaMonica McIver (D-NJ) · 3 cosponsors · Introduced Mar 18, 2026 · Referred to committee
Your members of Congress
Enter a ZIP to see where your representative and both senators stood on this bill.
Looked up on this device — your ZIP is never stored on our servers.
What it does
This bill prohibits state and local law enforcement agencies receiving certain federal Homeland Security grants from conducting civil immigration enforcement activities during the 2026 FIFA World Cup (June 11–July 19, 2026), except in emergencies involving imminent death, violence, terrorism, national security threats, or hot pursuit of dangerous suspects. The restriction applies to participation in the federal 287(g) program and any other civil immigration enforcement under federal immigration law.
Why we flagged it
The bill's operative mechanism is a time-limited suspension of civil immigration enforcement tied to a specific sporting event (2026 FIFA World Cup), not a permanent policy change or broad immigration reform. It is narrowly tailored to a 39-day window and a specific class of grant recipients.
What the text implies
- The bill creates a precedent for suspending immigration enforcement based on event scheduling rather than policy principle, potentially inviting similar requests for other major events (Olympics, Super Bowl, conventions).
- Federal grant recipients are prohibited from civil immigration enforcement, but the bill does not restrict ICE or other federal immigration agencies—enforcement gap may shift to federal actors or create coordination problems.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who it affects
The bill protects World Cup attendees and undocumented immigrants from immigration enforcement during the event, reducing fear and potential disruption to a major international gathering. However, it creates a narrow carve-out from immigration law enforcement for a specific 39-day window tied to a sporting event, raising questions about whether public safety and immigration enforcement should be suspended based on event scheduling rather than policy principle.