Civil rights organizations, community activists and human rights leaders are coming together in Miami today to issue a travel alert for international tourists coming to the U.S., particularly Florida.
Groups like ACLU of Florida and Florida Immigrant Coalition are warning international travelers about potential dangers targeting their rights, liberty and physical security.
The statewide travel alert is primarily focused on FIFA World Cup fans who are considering coming to Florida for the matches.
The press conference to announce the travel alert is set to begin at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 5, in front of the FIFA offices in Coral Gables.
You can watch the livestream here or simply scroll down.
The groups want to get the message out well ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which begins in June.
Throngs of soccer fans from around the world are expected to descend on the U.S. for the various matches, including seven scheduled to be played in South Florida.
The groups claim “enforcement tactics threaten to place international fans and delegations at risk—especially people of color, visitors from Latin America, Africa and Asia, and dual-nationals who could be targeted or questioned without cause.”
The advisory urges travelers to:
The Florida games will be held at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
They include key group stage match-ups featuring Portugal vs. Colombia, Saudia Arabia vs. Uruguay, and Uruguay vs. Cape Verde in June.
The state will also host group stage games like Brazil vs. Scotland, plus a Round of 32 match, a quarter-final and the Bronze final in July.
Groups participating the coalition issuing today’s travel advisory include:
Mark Pieth, a Swiss attorney who chaired an oversight committee on FIFA reform, urged fans to skip the World Cup.
“There’s only one piece of advice for fans,” he told the Swiss newspaper Der Bund. “Stay away from the USA! You’ll see it better on TV anyway. And upon arrival, fans should expect that if they don’t please officials, they’ll be put straight on the next flight home. If they’re lucky.”
Sepp Blatter, the ex-FIFA president, wrote on social media, “I think Mark Pieth is right to question this World Cup.”