The DHS shutdown and U.S. immigration policies could hinder the World Cup

Summary

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Consider This from NPR

Episode: The DHS Shutdown and U.S. Immigration Policies Could Hinder the World Cup

Date: April 19, 2026
Host: Rob Schmitz
Featured Guest: Juliette Kayem, former DHS official and mega-event security advisor

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Episode Overview

This episode explores the unprecedented challenges facing the United States as it prepares to co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup amid a partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and increasingly restrictive immigration policies. Host Rob Schmitz, with expert insights from Juliette Kayem, delves into how these political and administrative headwinds threaten both the logistical success and the spirit of the World Cup, raising pressing questions about security, international participation, and America’s welcome to the world.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The World's Eyes on North America

• World Cup Opening: The tournament kicks off June 11, with the U.S. opening against Paraguay in Los Angeles and traveling to Seattle for a match against Australia.
  [00:19–00:26]
• The event is a joint effort across more than a dozen North American cities, with unique challenges for each host city.

2. Immigration Bans and Travel Restrictions

• Participation Uncertainty: With a more than two-month Department of Homeland Security shutdown, doubts loom over whether all qualified World Cup players and fans will gain U.S. entry.
  • Example: Haiti & Iran: Haiti, qualifying for the first time in 50 years, faces a ban; Iran’s status is complicated by ongoing conflict and U.S. policy. [00:45–01:12]
  • $15,000 Bond: Some nationalities may face steep financial barriers to visit the U.S.

Notable Quote

"There's still an open question as to whether or not all the FIFA World cup players will be able to participate in U.S. matches."
— Commentator/Analyst, [00:37]

• Fan Impact: Top FIFA officials worry that U.S. ICE operations might “harmfully impact the World Cup fan experience.” [01:12–01:22]
• Political Backdrop: U.S. host cities are on high alert as restrictive policies under the Trump administration contrast with the original “unifying” vision of the tri-nation bid.

3. Mega-Event Security & City Readiness

• City Responsibilities: Most logistics and security fall to local municipalities, with federal involvement in intelligence and technical support (drones, emergency response, etc.). DHS’s shutdown creates critical gaps in federal backing. [02:54–03:45]

Notable Quote

"Each of these events is going to be taking part in one of 11 host U.S. cities... and each of those is governed by whatever the city has in place."
— Juliette Kayem, [02:54]

• Types of Risks:

  • Traditional: Terror, weather, drones, cyberattacks, crowd control.
  • “Signs of our times”: International hostility, volatile geopolitical context. [03:52–04:26]

• Kansas City as a Model: Highlighted for its “enthusiasm” and robust investment in security, hailed by FIFA as a potential "sleeper city."
  [04:32–04:48]

4. FIFA’s Position & “Unfulfilled Vision”

• Public Stance: FIFA remains publicly optimistic but privately concerned, especially about unmet expectations for North American unity and cross-border collaboration.
  • The Canadian and Mexican pieces of the tri-nation tournament face their own challenges, including cartel violence in Mexico. [04:51–06:20]

Notable Quote

“It was a vision of North America that we can’t even put your head around now... Well, that’s not happening.”
— Juliette Kayem, [05:24]

5. The Fan Experience: Hostility and Fear

• Travel Anxiety: Many international fans, especially from Central America, fear hostile treatment, risk of deportation, or the general “unwelcome mat” of U.S. policy. This is influencing travel decisions and diminishing attendance. [06:39–07:31]
• FIFA Pass Uncertainty: Even with special visa programs, restrictions and prohibitions remain, with no exceptions for most fans or families of players. [07:47–08:36]

Notable Quote

“There is no exception for a fan. There’s even often no exception for family member. The coaches and athletes are excepted from those bans. Those prohibitions are inconsistent with the spirit... of what it meant to want to be the host country.”
— Juliette Kayem, [07:47]

• Certain Teams, No Fans: Teams like Haiti and Iran may compete, but their fans will remain barred. [08:28–08:36]

6. Is This Still a Moment for Soccer in America?

• Despite all challenges, Kayem expresses hope—citing the sport’s “unifying” effect and optimism that practical issues will be resolved, even if America’s “welcome mat to the world” won’t be rolled out by June. [09:04–09:39]

Notable Quote

“There is something about the event and the global nature of the event... that actually unifies. I’m cautiously optimistic that a lot of these issues will get resolved. But we will always have the background noise: the U.S. has not thrown out a welcome mat to the world.”
— Juliette Kayem, [09:04]

7. Broader Consequences of the DHS Shutdown

• Staffing Exodus & Preparedness: Prolonged shutdowns deter DHS professionals, eroding preparedness not only for mega-events like the World Cup but for hurricanes and international threats. [09:56–10:47]

Notable Quote

“[The] professional apparatus is dissipating because of these debates. And the hard thing about measuring it is we won’t miss it until we need it.”
— Juliette Kayem, [10:09]

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “We told FIFA we wanted to host these events, and that comes with an obligation that our politics or our immigration rules will not hinder those fans.”
  — Juliette Kayem, [08:04]

• “Why would you work at a place in which you don’t get paid on a regular basis? We’re going to feel it in terms of the preparation and the planning...”
  — Juliette Kayem, [09:56]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Opening Sound & Setup: [00:00–01:22]
• DHS/Immigration Issues: [01:22–02:54]
• Juliette Kayem Interview: [02:54–10:54]
  • City preparation: [02:54–03:45]
  • Security risks: [03:52–04:26]
  • Kansas City spotlight: [04:32–04:48]
  • FIFA's vision vs. reality: [04:51–06:20]
  • Fan travel fears: [06:39–07:31]
  • Immigration restrictions for fans: [07:47–08:36]
  • Soccer’s “unifying” potential: [09:04–09:39]
  • Long-term impact of DHS shutdown: [09:56–10:47]

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Conclusion

This episode highlights the collision of geopolitics, domestic policy, and global sport as the U.S. gears up to take center stage for the World Cup. While there is keen optimism about the tournament’s potential to unify, deep concerns remain about immigration barriers, security readiness, and America’s global reputation in the era of shutdowns and hardline immigration rules. The insights from Juliette Kayem offer both a grounded assessment of logistical challenges and a cautious hope for what soccer might achieve this summer.

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Transcript

[Rob Schmitz]

There's no party like a World cup party. That's the sound of fans in Buenos Aires after Argentina won in 2022. Fans and players will hear the first whistle at this year's FIFA World cup on June 11, and it's being held closer to home in more than a dozen cities across North America.

[Narrator/Reporter]

The US Is going to open the World cup with a game in Los Angeles against Paraguay. Then they're going to fly to Seattle, where they will play Australia.

[Rob Schmitz]

But given the Department of Homeland Security's more than two month shutdown, is the United States ready to host this event? Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen pressed DHS leadership during a Senate hearing last week.

[Commentator/Analyst]

There's still an open question as to whether or not all the FIFA World cup players will be able to participate in U.S. matches.

[Rob Schmitz]

And here's an example of that problem. Haiti has qualified for the World cup for the first time in 50 years, but Haitians are barred from coming to America through a travel ban. Iran, in the midst of a war, has also qualified. Will its players be allowed to come? Add to all of that, citizens from some other countries could have to pay a $15,000 bond to enter the US and we haven't even started talking about ticket prices, van Hollen said. The concerns are not just coming from fans.

[Commentator/Analyst]

Even top officials with FIFA are concerned about the harmful impact ice operations would have on the World cup fan experience.

[Rob Schmitz]

Consider this American cities are preparing to welcome people from across the world, even as the Trump administration tries to keep some out. And a partial government shutdown has added another layer of security concerns. From npr, I'm rob schmitz.

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[Rob Schmitz]

It's Consider this from npr. Juliette Kayem served at the Department of Homeland Security under the Obama administration. She also works to help cities prepare for mega events like the World Cup. I started by asking her how the partial government shutdown of DHS is affecting preparations.

[Juliette Kayem]

Well, we still don't know yet, to be fair. But look, there's not like a sort of a federal FIFA preparedness apparatus. Each of these events is going to be taking part in one of 11 host U.S. cities over the course of almost six weeks, 78 matches in the United States. And each of those is governed by whatever the city has in place. At this stage, the federal government and the DHS overlay is to help those cities, because these are big events, manage, you know, federal assets, request information, intelligence they may know, help with drone excursions, which is sort of in the federal apparatus. So there are still some aspects in terms of preparedness, planning. There are still gonna be some gaps, and we just simply right now don't know how those are gonna be filled.

[Interviewer]

So, I mean, you mentioned 11 host cities here in the United States. What are you hearing directly from officials in those cities?

[Juliette Kayem]

So I wanna divide sort of their concerns into two different parts. So the first is just you're holding. And there are risks out there, and those risks are going to be familiar to listeners. Terror, weather, drones, cyber, crowd crush, crowd control. All the things you worry about when you bring a lot of people together. I call this second group. I don't know what to call them. I call it the signs of our time threats. And there's general hostility to the US and the war and the way that the administration has embarked on its foreign policy with both our allies and enemies.

[Interviewer]

I hate to put you in this position, but I'm wondering if you've noticed, is there a city that is more ready than the other cities?

[Rob Schmitz]

Like a model city?

[Juliette Kayem]

I won't say one is better than the other, but the one that everyone's looking at in terms of both its enthusiasm to hold it, its investments, including its safety and security investments, is Kansas City. Someone from FIFA told me it's sort of the sleeper city in this regard.

[Interviewer]

Does FIFA seem to be concerned about this?

[Juliette Kayem]

FIFA's public position is all systems go. And I have to admit, I've been in the mega event planning field long enough, enough that the criticisms, the complaints, the crankiness that you're hearing now is very familiar. It happens before every Olympics. It happens before every Super Bowl. I think the thing I do hear that they are worried about is I think the gap between what they were hoping and the gap of what they're worried about. You have to remember FIFA gave the games to North America. This is Canada, the United States and New Mexico. It was a vision of North America that we can't even put your head around it now. It was this idea that these Three countries as allies would unify and you'd have sort of cross border collaboration. Well, that's not happening. We know where the Trump administration is on that. And so now you sort of have sort of three different countries with their immigration and Mexico with its cartel violence. It's that unknown that they are worried about. The administration can do a lot to placate those worries, not just for FIFA, but also for citizens and the cities that are going to be hosting them. It's not just the games are hosting. At last count, I think there were 600 events related to the FIFA footprint in the United States alone this summer. And I think worries about immigration in particular and immigration enforcement are legitimate and aren't going to go away over the course of the summer.

[Interviewer]

I'm putting myself in the shoes of someone from Central America who wants to watch their team here on US Soil. They've seen what has happened in Minneapolis, in cities across the country. How are they going to feel when they get on a plane to come to either Kansas City or any of the host cities in the United States?

[Juliette Kayem]

People are making decisions about where they visit, on what they feel their experience will be here in the United States. And that is one of hostility, one of fear, one of sort of the unknown. You could just be walking down the street and then you are deported or that would be good, or you're detained for some period of time. But look, we've built our unwelcome mat for a while now and we have seen these numbers plummeting about who wants to come to the US either because they don't like our politics right now, or they are legitimately nervous about the experience of either going through an airport or in the interior. And there are fans who will overcome those fears. But there are many who might decide this is the World cup, we're gonna

[Interviewer]

sit out and you know, we haven't even talked about yet the citizens from a number of countries who are not even allowed to enter America. You know, FIFA has a special visa program called the FIFA Pass, you know, but a lot of fans are worried that they're not going to be able to come. How valid are their concerns?

[Juliette Kayem]

Those are valid because the travel rules and prohibitions or the price structure still exists. There is no exception for a fan. There's even often no exception for family member. The coaches and athletes are accepted from those bands. Those prohibitions are inconsistent with the, with the spirit, if not the letter, of what it meant to want to be the host country. And that is, that is something that the United States can't defend. I mean, we told FIFA we wanted to host these events, and that comes with an obligation that our politics or our immigration rules will not hinder those fans.

[Interviewer]

So, in sum, you know, we're going to see the teams from Haiti and Iran maybe come to the United States, but we will not see their fans.

[Juliette Kayem]

Exactly. The prohibited countries, their fans do not have an exception.

[Interviewer]

So we've been talking a lot about geopolitics right now, but the soccer community here has been looking forward to this summer as a moment to, you know, to raise awareness of the game. You know, for a long time, America's been seen as the final frontier for soccer. You know, FIFA may or may not have seen these challenges coming, but do you think this is a good time for global expansion here in the US Given all of these challenges?

[Juliette Kayem]

I think it is. And I'm excited about it. I guess I have to be because I love these events. But there is something about the event and the global nature of the event and these countries that we barely know bringing their teams and the competition that actually unifies. I'm cautiously optimistic that a lot of these issues will get resolved, but we will always have the background noise of our times, which is the United States has not thrown out a welcome mat to the world. And as far as we can tell now, not much will change before the World Cup.

[Interviewer]

So before we let you go, I wanted to tap into your experience at the DHS under the Obama administration. We've got a shutdown and it's having a wide impact on dhs, not just, you know, about its role in the World Cup. What is the long term impact of a continued stalemate in Congress over this?

[Juliette Kayem]

I think the longest term impact is going to be personnel. Why would you work at a place in which you don't get paid on a regular basis? We're going to feel it in terms of the preparation and the planning that DHS is responsible for, for not just mega events, but for hurricanes. And we have threats from Iran and China. I mean, we are a country that will continue to have risks. And the apparatus, the professional apparatus is dissipating because of these debates. And the hard thing about measuring it is we won't miss it until we need it. Right now, you know, yes, I can get through my airport lines and yes, everything seems fine. But when the hurricane comes or the terror attack comes, you're going to wish that we had been more prepared. So we may not know it until we want it.

[Interviewer]

That's Julia Kayam. She was the Assistant Secretary for Intergovernmental affairs at DHS under the Obama administration. Thank you.

[Juliette Kayem]

Thank you.

[Rob Schmitz]

This episode was produced by Henry Larson and Jeffrey Pierre.

[Interviewer]

It was edited by Sarah Robbins.

[Rob Schmitz]

Our executive producer is Sammy Yenigun. It's consider this from npr. I'm Rob Schmitz.

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