The U.S. Travel Association is condemning a new travel advisory warning visitors to the U.S. about potential human rights abuses during this summer's 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Dignity 2026 Coalition, which includes dozens of advocacy groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), issued the advisory amid heightened anxiety less than two months before the tournament gets underway.
On Thursday, the ACLU warned that fans, players, journalists and other visitors to the U.S. could face "racial profiling and discrimination by law enforcement, invasive social media screening and searches of electronic devices, the suppression of speech and protest, and the risk of cruel or inhuman treatment, with some cases resulting in death, while in immigration detention facilities or custody."
"FIFA has unique leverage right now to pressure the U.S. government to respect the fundamental human rights of every person visiting and attending the games, as well as those working and living in the 11 U.S. host cities," the ACLU stated. "That's why the ACLU and other members of the Dignity 2026 Coalition have been urging FIFA to act. But FIFA has yet to offer meaningful assurances."
The advisory was unsurprisingly met with significant pushback from the U.S. travel industry, which deemed it a political ploy.
"Let's say the quiet part out loud: the campaign by civil society organizations to discourage World Cup travel isn't about protecting visitors. It's about using the livelihoods of American workers and businesses as leverage to influence policies they oppose," U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman said in a statement issued Thursday.
"That's not advocacy. That's sabotage."
White House in Washington, DC. (Photo Credit: Matthew/Adobe)
Freeman conceded that there are "legitimate concerns about U.S. entry policies right now" that his organization has acknowledged publicly, but argued that progress is in the works and the advisory misrepresents the current situation.
"Has the Trump administration made progress in numerous areas? Unequivocally. Let’s deal in fact, not fiction. For example, the number of travelers detained at Customs to have their devices searched is a difference of less than 0.01% between the Biden and Trump administrations, according to official Customs and Border Protection data," said Freeman.
"We continue to oppose potential visa fees, social media screening, and policies that make the U.S. less competitive as a destination. We say that directly, including to the Administration itself," he added. "But discouraging travel by calling the U.S. unsafe for visitors is a different thing entirely. Sixty-seven million international travelers came to the United States last year. The notion that visiting America poses a meaningful safety risk is not a good-faith warning; it's a political tactic designed to cause economic harm."
"There are legitimate ways to challenge policies you oppose. Harming the livelihoods of American workers and businesses by frightening away visitors isn't one of them," argued Freeman. "We'll keep doing it differently: making the honest case, staying in the room, and fighting for an America that's open, competitive, and worth the trip."
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will kick off on June 11, with 104 matches taking place across 16 host cities in the U.S., Mexico and Canada.
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