Civil rights groups issue Florida travel alert ahead of FIFA World Cup [View all]
Source: USA Today
Updated Feb. 6, 2026, 8:39 a.m. ET
A coalition of immigrant and civil rights groups issued a travel alert for international tourists traveling to the United States, "particularly in Florida," warning that their rights, liberty, and physical security could potentially be in danger. The coalition includes the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, the Florida Immigrant Coalition, the American Friends Service Committee, the Family Action Network Movement, and Semillas de Colombia.
The travel alert, which was issued on Wednesday, Feb. 4, advised people to "reconsider travel to the state." The alert was issued in response to what the groups called multiple cases of tourists and U.S. citizens being detained for immigration enforcement purposes. The statewide travel alert is primarily focused on FIFA World Cup fans who are considering coming to Florida for the matches this year.
“Florida is no longer a safe destination for international tourists," said Tessa Petit, executive director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition. "When federal and local agents can detain anyone at anytime without cause and without identifying themselves, everyone is at risk."
Petit added, "International visitors must ask themselves if a soccer match is worth the risk of being kidnapped and jailed until God-knows-when, in deplorable conditions, by a secret police who is using racial profiling, judging people for how they look or their accent, and getting away with literal murder in the streets of our country."
Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2026/02/06/florida-travel-alert-fifa-world-cup-civil-rights-groups/88541940007/
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