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This weekend, the United States will host the FIFA World Cup at Metlife Stadium, just outside Newark, New Jersey. Just a few miles away, nearly 1000 individuals are detained inside Delaney Hall – an ICE detention facility owned by the private prison contractor Geo Group.
In May, I traveled to Delaney Hall to document protests outside. Thousands had gathered to support the detainees, who themselves were engaged in a hunger and labor strike. Yes – a labor strike. Geo Group facilities, despite the billions they are receiving from the federal government, require detainees to work maintenance jobs. Some are paid as little as $1 per day for their labor. A phone call costs $5.
The protests began in response to the conditions inside Delaney Hall, where reports of rotted food, denial of medical care, and abuse by guards are rampant. In December 2025, 41 year old Jean Wilson Brutus died within the facility. Outside, protesters were met with violent assaults by ICE agents who shoved them into oncoming traffic, shot them with pepper balls (a form of less-lethal munitions), and sprayed their faces with tear gas.
None of this is unique to Newark’s Delaney Hall. Reports of inhumane conditions have come out of ICE detention facilities across the country. Incidents of violent altercations between ICE and peaceful protesters have made headlines since Trump escalated his mass deportation agenda upon taking office. In the past week alone, two individuals have been fatally shot by ICE agents – one in Houston, the other in Maine – bringing the total number of fatal shootings by ICE to 11 since Trump took office. What’s unique about Delaney Hall is that it is mere miles from Metlife Stadium, where we are about to host the World Cup.
It’s a stark contrast – Trump’s anti-immigration agenda in full force, brutalizing people based on their nation of origin in what many critics deem modern concentration camps, just a short drive away from the World Cup, a game that is meant to bring people from around the world together in celebration.
Trump’s hostility towards foreigners has tainted the World Cup from the onset. In June, a Somali referee, Omar Artan, was denied entry into the United States. Somalia is on Trump’s travel ban list, and he has made numerous comments disparaging Somali immigrants and refugees. A staff member for the Iraqi team was also denied entry, as well as many fans from around the world who had purchased tickets. One of the players on Iraq’s team was held for hours for questioning at Chicago’s O’Hare airport.
Yet the United States is hosting the World Cup at a time of immense hostility towards foreigners and dramatic tightening of immigration laws (even tourist visas are being completely denied for some countries on Trump’s travel ban list).
That’s before we even get into the corrupt relationship between Trump and FIFA. Earlier this month, Trump called the FIFA president to request a red card by a USA team player be overturned. FIFA president Gianni Infantino obliged. Last year, Trump was granted the FIFA Peace Prize, drawing immense criticism.
The World Cup is meant to bring soccer fans from around the world together – to cheer on their country’s team and celebrate the most beloved sport in the world. People who don’t share the same language, race, or religion, all coming together to enjoy a game together. Thousands will attend the matches, millions more will watch from home all around the world. It’s a sport meant to celebrate diversity, building community, and our fellows all around the globe. It is hypocrisy for the United States to host this event, while the actions of our government fly in the face of those values.
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