Markwayne Mullin Accuses Democrats Putting DHS Security Preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup "in Jeopardy"

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said Saturday that Homeland Security's preparations for the upcoming FIFA World Cup were put "in jeopardy" by a 76-day federal funding lapse, warning that officials have not been able to prepare "as proactive[ly]" as needed ahead of next month's opening matches.

Speaking during a press conference in Kansas City alongside Rep. Mark Alford, Mullin said the department could still "deliver" security for the tournament but acknowledged that the delay had disrupted planning for one of the largest sporting events ever hosted in the United States.

"We haven't been able to be as proactive on putting those positions — those safety measures in place," Mullin said, according to The Hill. "The first one in the U.S. is in L.A., June 12. That is around the corner. We have so much work to do."

Mullin said the lapse complicated contracts and logistics needed to house DHS personnel, arguing that such preparations "take months." He blamed Democrats for the delay, saying they had "put this process in jeopardy and really put the 600,000 people who are going to be at these matches over a period of 30 or 35 days — put their safety in jeopardy."

The comments come amid growing debate over security, immigration enforcement and logistics surrounding the tournament. ICE officials have said Homeland Security Investigations agents would focus primarily on trafficking, counterfeit merchandise and financial crimes rather than immigration raids near stadiums.

Still, immigration enforcement has become a source of concern. Some Democratic lawmakers have introduced legislation seeking to prohibit immigration enforcement activity near stadiums, fan festivals and transit hubs during the tournament, though those measures are not expected to advance in Congress. Rep. Nellie Pou, a Democrat from New Jersey, introduced the Save the World Cup Act earlier this year, a bill that would prohibit federal funds from being used for immigration enforcement within a defined radius of World Cup venues and FIFA Fan Festivals.

Human rights organizations have also issued warnings to foreign visitors. In late April Amnesty International, the American Civil Liberties Union and more than 120 organizations released a travel advisory cautioning that visitors to the World Cup could face "serious violations" tied to immigration enforcement and civil liberties concerns under the Trump administration.

The White House has rejected those criticisms. Spokesperson Davis Ingle said at the time that the administration was working to ensure the tournament would be "the safest and most secure in history."