The DHS shutdown and U.S. immigration policies could hinder the World Cup
Consider This from NPR
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4.2 • 6.2K Ratings
🗓️ 19 April 2026
⏱️ 11 minutes
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| 0:00.0 | There's no party like a World Cup party. |
| 0:05.8 | That's the sound of fans in Buenos Aires after Argentina won in 2022. |
| 0:10.8 | Fans and players will hear the first whistle at this year's FIFA World Cup on June 11th, |
| 0:15.6 | and it's being held closer to home in more than a dozen cities across North America. |
| 0:19.8 | The U.S. is going to open the World Cup with a game in Los Angeles against Paraguay. |
| 0:23.2 | Then they're going to fly to Seattle where they will play Australia. |
| 0:26.7 | But given the Department of Homeland Security's more than two-month shutdown, |
| 0:30.2 | is the United States ready to host this event? |
| 0:33.2 | Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen pressed DHS leadership during a Senate hearing last week. |
| 0:37.9 | There's still an open question as to whether or not all the FIFA World Cup players will be |
| 0:42.8 | able to participate in U.S. matches. |
| 0:45.7 | And here's an example of that problem. Haiti has qualified for the World Cup for the first time |
| 0:50.1 | in 50 years, but Haitians are barred from coming to America through a travel ban. |
| 0:55.4 | Iran in the midst of a war has also qualified. |
| 0:58.0 | Will its players be allowed to come? |
| 0:59.9 | Add to all of that, citizens from some other countries could have to pay a $15,000 |
| 1:04.0 | bond to enter the U.S., and we haven't even started talking about ticket prices. |
| 1:09.2 | Van Hollen said the concerns are not just coming from fans. |
| 1:12.6 | Even top officials with FIFA are concerned about the harmful impact ice operations would have on the World Cup fan experience. |
| 1:22.3 | Consider this. American cities are preparing to welcome people from across the world, |
| 1:26.4 | even as the Trump administration tries to keep some out. |
| 1:29.7 | And a partial government shutdown has added another layer of security concerns. |
... |
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