Fear in Miami, home to a million illegal immigrants, about the presence of Trump's border patrol at World Cup matches: "I would be worried."

There are more than a million undocumented illegal citizens in Florida . A figure that, according to the Migration Policy Institute, rises to 14 million if we consider the entire United States. And there are certainly more. And many are Latino. And they love soccer. And this Club World Cup with Leo Messi and Inter Miami, Boca Juniors, River Plate, Palmeiras, and Monterrey is a soccer paradise for them. Many, with stable jobs but without papers, planned to go to the stadiums, especially the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami where Inter Miami and Al Ahly kick off the tournament this Saturday, but the presence of Donald Trump 's border patrol around the event has scared them away.

"All citizens must carry proof of their legal status in the country," Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced in a statement, deployed by the government at World Cup venues.

The riots at the Copa América final, held at the Hard Rock in Miami last year, have drawn the attention of authorities. The match between Argentina and Colombia had to be delayed for more than an hour because fans stampeded into the stadium entrance, breached security, and clashed with police, resulting in 27 arrests. This is an image Miami doesn't want to repeat just one year before the World Cup, the most important sporting event for the country alongside the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

In fact, Hard Rock Stadium security has issued a statement detailing their security plan : fans without tickets "will not be allowed to approach the stadium," "those with tickets will have to go through "multiple security checkpoints" before entering, "police will patrol the area to ensure everyone has tickets."

"My wife is a lawyer and she's receiving a lot of questions from undocumented citizens about what they should do. They have jobs and entry, but the presence of ICE scares them," says a taxi driver on the way to Hard Rock.

"CBP is ready to handle security at the games ," the Border Patrol (CBP) wrote on social media. The post was later deleted due to the public backlash over Donald Trump's harsh immigration policies. Many believe the presence of these government departments at the games goes beyond just securing the games.

Thomas Kennedy , an immigrant rights advocate with the Florida Immigrant Coalition, said that "arrests are clearly up and the immigration enforcement environment is very hostile right now," Kennedy said, adding: "Foreign fans with valid visas could feel intimidated . I would be concerned and disturbed if I were to go to the games," he said, according to the Miami Herald.

For his part, FIFA President Gianni Infantino focused on tournament security: "The most important thing for us is to ensure the safety of the fans who attend the matches. No one should think they can come to a match and cause trouble. We want everyone to have a good time," he declared at a meeting with the media in Miami.

"Let the fans come. We want them to celebrate, we want them to watch the games, but when the tournament is over, they'll have to go home, " Vice President JD Vance said at a press conference alongside Trump and Infantino a few weeks ago.