ACLU – June 12, 2026

Human rights are not a game. And yet, the World Cup – ironically, with its slogan of “Football Unites the World” – is becoming a stage for authoritarianism rather than global unity.

From the moment he took office, President Trump has blatantly and relentlessly attacked human rights – from brutal immigration raids and mass deportations to crackdowns on free press and a reckless disregard for due process. Now, his impact has reached the World Cup, where matches are taking place in communities that live in daily fear of racial profiling and deportation because of the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration policies.

Powered by the support of our members, the ACLU is fighting back just as relentlessly to uphold human rights – and with a gift today, you can help continue this critical work throughout the World Cup and beyond.

Along with other members of the Dignity 2026 Coalition and thousands of people like you, we urged FIFA, the international soccer governing body, to pressure the U.S. government to respect the human rights of every person visiting and attending the matches, as well as those working and living in the 11 U.S. host cities.

But rather than leverage its international influence to press for human rights protections amid President Trump’s escalating abuses, FIFA has chosen to remain silent while its president, Gianni Infantino, has aligned himself closer to the Trump administration.

This poses serious risks to many of the fans, journalists, and other visitors who have traveled to the United States for this tournament, particularly those from racial and ethnic minority groups, the LGBTQ community, and the 39 countries the administration has travel bans against, several of which are participating in the World Cup.

This is unacceptable. If you agree, we are urging you to donate now to help the ACLU continue defending human rights and leading the charge against the Trump administration’s anti-liberty agenda.

We, as people and members of the global community, are better than this. The ACLU knows this, and we know you do, too. Now, it’s up to each and every one of us to show that and to fight for the rights of everyone in this country.

Thank you,

The ACLU Team

---

American Civil Liberties Union
125 Broad Street, 18th Floor
New York, NY 10004, USA