KC advocacy group warns of heightened immigration enforcement during World Cup
Community organizers that assist Kansas City immigrants are cautioning people about increased enforcement activities happening locally during the World Cup.
And, they want to see local leadership do better for their immigrant communities.
Tournament, local and state officials have failed at various levels to protect immigrants during the tournament while federal immigration officers have been stationed in the region, according to local group Advocates for Immigrant Rights and Reconciliation (AIRR).
“While city officials celebrate the arrival of visitors and international attention, immigrant families are facing increased enforcement, fear and uncertainty,” according to a Wednesday afternoon statement from the organization.
Ahead of the tournament, the federal government said it would lean on immigration enforcement officials to police the worldwide event. It did not specify how many federal immigration officers would be coming to the metro, or where they’d be stationed.
“What makes someone a target for immigration enforcement is whether or not they are illegally in the U.S. — full stop,” ICE told The Star in a May statement. “Speculation to the contrary is ill-informed.”
AIRR, a local hub that helps inform people of their constitutional rights, has increasingly served Kansas City residents amid an uptick in immigration enforcement seen across the country under President Donald Trump’s second term.
Their advisory for Kansas City comes on the heels of a separate advisory that numerous national groups, including AIRR, issued more than two months ago. That previous advisory cautioned fans, players, journalists and international visitors to be cautious of the United States’ “deteriorating human rights situation.”
The most recent advisory, published Wednesday, argues that a lack of protections from tournament organizers and area governments has made it difficult for immigrants living in Kansas City to carry out their daily lives.
AIRR argued that the increased federal law enforcement presence increases risks for people who are immigrants and for their families. Those risks are heightened in the metropolitan area, given state laws in Kansas and Missouri surrounding local agencies’ abilities to assist with immigration enforcement.
“We should not have to choose between participating in a soccer tournament celebration and protecting our families, let alone we should not have to try to ‘not exist during the hosting of the World Cup,’” according to the statement.
Rights when approached by ICE
In its advisory, AIRR outlined some key constitutional rights information that it believes people should know.
That includes:
- The right to remain silent;
- The right to refuse a search or entry without a judicial warrant;
- The right to record law enforcement in public spaces.
“Our strong community of Kansas Citians will rely on community organizing infrastructure to keep us safe,” according to the advisory. “We call on local leaders to publicly commit to protecting residents’ rights.”
The advisory also warns that residents who are immigrants should be mindful of their personal risk when attending World Cup events and traveling throughout the region. Immigration enforcement can happen elsewhere in the metro, not just at World Cup watch parties, according to the advisory.
People should stay connected to groups that share information about constitutional rights, let loved ones know when and where someone is traveling, and be mindful of how secure information shared on electronic devices can be, the notice said.
KC mayor responds
Kansas City has consistently made its commitment to protecting its residents’ rights clear, according to a Thursday afternoon statement by Mayor Quinton Lucas. And the city firmly opposes Trump’s approach to enforcing federal immigration policies.
The city pointed to its moratorium on mass detention facilities, which its council passed amid unsuccessful efforts to establish an ICE detention center in South Kansas City.
Additionally, the Kansas City Police Department still does not cooperate with ICE on immigration enforcement activities, Lucas said in the statement.
“Federal immigration authorities should not create chaos and fear in American cities during the World Cup or at any time,” according to Lucas’s statement. “Kansas City will continue its work to deliver a safe World Cup for every resident and every guest of our city. The event’s host committee “understands the voice of our residents, our cities, and our neighbors in standing for the rights of all present in our community,” it read. KC2026 did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday afternoon.
