FIFA Comes to Seattle
No ICE in Our Cup!

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be coming to the US on June 11th, one of three countries that will host the series of 104 soccer games leading up to the final game in New Jersey. Seattle will be the host to six of the games with the US team playing on June 19 at Lumen Field.

Washington State is betting on big returns for its investment in Seattle as a host city. Seattle is spending nearly $32 million on World Cup preparations for public safety and security, transportation and mobility, stadium and pitch preparations, and the utilizing of Seattle Center for hosting fan zones and coordinating public gatherings. Washington State is allocating $46.6 million for overall preparations, stadium upgrades, and transportation investments. In return, the event is projected to generate between $850 million to nearly $930 million for the local King County economy. About 750,000 people were projected to arrive for the World Cup games, of which a possible 410,000 will attend games if the stadium is full. At this point, hotel reservations are showing that projected visitors are falling below expectations.

Everyone is not excited about the FIFA World Cup games. News that the federal government’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will be playing a major role in the security forces in Seattle for the games, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), has many on edge. Seattle city officials have stated that ICE will not be going after immigrants in the perimeter controlled by DHS around the stadium or the surrounding pedestrian areas controlled by the Seattle Police Department. But in a city briefing to community groups on May 21, staff clarified that while city and country law prohibits these jurisdictions from spending any resources in assisting ICE, city and county police cannot interfere with federal immigration enforcement due to federal laws.

The concern for ICE activity has drawn slogans from groups calling for “No ICE in our Cup!” and "Protect our 206 Pitch!” (pitch in soccer is the playing field). UNITE HERE Local 8 who coined “No ICE in our Cup!" has members who work in the stadiums and are concerned because many are workers of color. Furthermore, Local 8 members are undergoing difficult contract negotiations at the Embassy Suites Hotel located a block from the North Lot in Pioneer Square and are concerned about potential harassment by police forces. Their contract expires May 31 and if the contract is not settled, workers at that hotel may be on strike.

In the International District (ID), Puget Sound Sage and other organizations that work with the small businesses, restaurants, and massage workers are concerned over the impact of the games on the ID. Previous large scale sports events like the Major League Baseball All Stars Game did not result in any major economic gains for the ID. Besides the traffic congestion and transportation difficulties for commuters who live and work in the ID, residents, and workers are afraid of increased ICE presence and harassment. Already, 45 massage businesses have been closed in King County due to building code violations just within the last month, leaving massage workers, who are largely Chinese women, without income, and oftentimes, housing since many of the workers live in their place of employment. On Wednesday, May 20, the Martin Luther King, Jr Labor Council passed a resolution in support of the massage parlor workers in an effort to protect these vulnerable female immigrant workers.

Organizers have been meeting to discuss plans to utilize the FIFA games as a platform to protest ICE presence as well as to protect immigrants and workers of color, given the heightened presence of federal troops, especially ICE. In addition, plans for actions, including a family friendly event on June 14 are in the works. This date is the anniversary of the first No Kings! Rally and Trump’s birthday and right before the first FIFA game in Seattle.

Also, in the planning with ILWU Locals, A Philip Randolph Institute (APRI), and Standing for Democracy (WA) is a march from Pioneer Square (or in close proximity to Lumen Field) to the ILWU Hall in SODO. This march on June 19, celebrates Juneteenth with the African American community. This was the day that slaves in Texas were freed, two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. June 19 is also the day of the US vs Australia soccer game where high level US officials may be present. Organizers want to take advantage of these factors, to protest given the political conditions and the grave setbacks in civil rights, the dismantling of voters rights, and the resurrection of blatant discrimination. It’s the reason that APRI and Standing for Democracy have called for a march to bring international attention to these issues and a call to organize to fight for our rights and fight racism.

For more information on the Juneteenth Celebration and March and other protests during the FIFA World Cup Games, please go to www.freeWAproject.org or email standingfordemocracy053@gmail.com