Attorney Eric Swalwell introduced a bill to ban ICE from World Cup locations
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Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., asked his soccer career to join him when he introduced a package of bills to prevent forced immigration practices around the World Cup this June.
More than a dozen American cities will host World Cup football matches, including East Rutherford, NJ, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami and Washington – while three Democrats on the House Homeland Security Committee want to prevent what they call racial and linguistic profiling that could instill fear in fans.
“How can our country handle the World Cup while we are kicking out fans who have traveled around the world?” Swalwell said in a statement introducing the “Safe Passage to the World Cup Act.”
“As a former Division I football player, I know what an honor it is to host the biggest sporting event in the world.
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Swalwell, a native of Iowa, played goalkeeper in Division I soccer at Campbell University in Buies Creek, North Carolina.
The liberal futurist dreamed of becoming a professional soccer star, but ended up breaking his thumb, which ultimately sidelined his future career.
After attending the University of Maryland in College Park, he worked in neighboring Washington, DC for Rep. Ellen Tauscher, California Democrat.
“That was the turning point. I knew I didn’t want to play football anymore; I wanted to be in Washington,” Swalwell told Diablo Magazine in 2013 in an article now posted on his official congressional website.
Eric Swalwell participates in the 2nd Annual Capital Classic football event. (Warren Rojas/Getty Images)
Swalwell’s bill would prevent federal DHS funding from being used for immigration enforcement activities at public transportation or airports from June 11 to July 19 in any city hosting a FIFA game or festival.
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The bill provides a blueprint for “hot pursuit” of suspects who present an “imminent danger to public safety.”
“What we have to prioritize is to show our best – without buses, trains and public places,” Swalwell said in a statement.
“This bill ensures that ICE cannot turn everyday public transportation into a place of terror. It is a shame that DHS is targeting people for political stunts.”
“We’re better than this,” he said.
Swalwell sits on the House Homeland Security Committee’s Working Group on Improving Security at Special Events in the United States.
The top Democrat on that panel, Rep. Nellie Pou from New Jersey, represents the area around the New York Giants stadium, where the games will be held.
Pou has introduced a companion bill called the Save the World Cup Act, which bans immigrants from near the games or the festivities themselves — and will enforce measures to ensure that parking lots and fan areas are not disturbed by ICE sweeps “to discourage attendance and indiscriminate targeting of communities.”
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“With less than 90 days left until the start of the game, the World Cup should bring the world together and not leave families wondering if ICE will be waiting outside the stadiums,” Pou said in a statement, adding that he asked ICE Director Todd Lyons if he could assure him that there is no such law — but he refused.
The third member of the labor movement – Rep. LaMonica McIver, DN.J., — is still facing charges for allegedly assaulting a federal agent outside Delaney Hall in her hometown of Newark.
The case has been pending since January, according to the New Jersey Monitor, which reported that Biden-appointed Judge Jamel Semper allowed two of the three cases to proceed as McIver filed appeals.
McIver’s companion bill would prohibit grant programs from being used to enforce immigration near World Cup game sites.
“Fans from around the world and across the country will travel to New Jersey to watch the World Cup, and keeping them safe means protecting them from DHS trying to turn this world event into a net for the Trump administration’s mass deportation agenda,” he said in a statement.
“We’ve fought to protect millions of dollars so football fans can enjoy the greatest game in the world—they shouldn’t be intimidated by immigration enforcement. I’m introducing this bill to draw a clear line that ensures state and local law enforcement can focus on keeping fans safe.”
A DHS spokesperson said the agency plans to work with local and state partners to secure the World Cup games “in accordance with federal law and the US Constitution as we do for all major sporting events, while demonstrating America’s greatness around the world.”
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“Foreign visitors legally coming to the United States for the World Cup are not concerned,” DHS said. “What makes someone a target for immigration enforcement is whether or not they’re in the US illegally — full stop.”
A spokesman called the speculation in the legislative package “uninformed” and that foreign visitors should still be “active” and file all their forms in Washington and their personal documents ahead of time to ensure a smooth travel experience.
