Los Angeles sheriff says ICE enforcement not expected at World Cup matches

LOS ANGELES, June 1 : Federal officials have told Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna that civil immigration enforcement will not take place at FIFA World Cup games or events in Los Angeles, Luna said on Monday, as authorities outlined security plans for eight matches beginning on June 12.

"A couple of weeks ago there was some reporting, or rumors, about ICE potentially being at the FIFA games or events," Luna told a press conference of local, state and federal law enforcement officials.

"I personally called the head of Homeland Security here for the L.A. region and what he stated is that there will be federal agents ... because it's going to take all of us to make sure that all the venues, the scoped and unscoped events, are secure. 

"But in regard to civil immigration enforcement, they told us that specifically would not be occurring at any of the games.

"Any of that is subject to change, but I have trust that they're giving me the appropriate information because if that starts occurring, we're going to have a whole new host of problems," he added.

Immigration raids by masked ICE agents in Los Angeles last year sparked a wave of demonstrations in the region. 

HEIGHTENED SECURITY FOR IRAN'S MATCHES 

Luna said law enforcement would increase staffing around Iran's two matches in Los Angeles, with authorities monitoring possible protests or other activity near the stadium and fan zones.

Iran and the United States are in negotiations to end their three-month-old war.

Iran is scheduled to play its first match of the tournament on June 15 at SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles, a region home to the largest concentration of Iranians outside Iran.

"Iran does bring a different dynamic because of the current world events," Luna said.

"So there