SoFi Stadium union urges FIFA to bar ICE from World Cup operations

A union representing about 2,000 food service workers at SoFi Stadium has demanded that FIFA keep US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol away from World Cup operations in Los Angeles, warning workers could strike if their concerns are not addressed.Unite Here Local 11, which represents cooks, servers and bartenders at the Inglewood venue, said its members remain without a labour contract as the tournament approaches, raising operational risk for FIFA and local organisers as they build matchday staffing plans.The union set out three core demands to FIFA and stadium owner Kroenke Sports & Entertainment: a public commitment that immigration enforcement will play no role in the tournament, protections for union jobs and working conditions, and support for affordable housing for hospitality workers.“FIFA and its corporate sponsors will pocket billions from Los Angeles while refusing to even acknowledge the cooks, servers, and stand attendants who make this event possible,” Kurt Petersen, co-president of Local 11, said in a statement.The campaign is targeted at a sensitive point in FIFA’s tournament delivery model, which depends on temporary workforces across concessions, security-adjacent roles, hospitality and fan services, alongside commercial partners whose contractual obligations are tied to venue operations and service levels.Local 11 also said it wants assurances that artificial intelligence and automation will not be used during the tournament to eliminate union jobs, linking the issue to longer-term concerns over the casualisation of venue work and the value of union labour in mega-event delivery.The union cited comments from Acting Department of Homeland Security Director Todd Lyons that ICE would play a “key part” in the World Cup, describing that prospect as a threat to worker and guest safety in Los Angeles.Housing is the other major pillar of the union’s demands, with Local 11 calling for support for a workforce housing fund, restrictions on short-term rentals, and tax measures aimed at funding affordable housing and immigrant family protections in the region.Los Angeles is scheduled to host eight World Cup matches at SoFi Stadium, with the first listed match a United States fixture against Paraguay on June 12, making the venue an early test case for FIFA’s workforce, security and community-relations planning.FIFA did not immediately respond to the union’s request, while SoFi Stadium representatives declined to comment, leaving the dispute as a live risk factor for tournament operations and sponsor-facing service delivery in one of the event’s highest-profile host markets.