When it Comes to World Cup Security, Money is Abundant but Details are Hushed

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn took a break from the campaign trail Thursday afternoon to join Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson and local and federal law enforcement leaders at the Dallas Police headquarters for a conversation on public safety during this summer’s FIFA World Cup games. 

The One Big Beautiful Bill, which Congress passed last July, included a $625 million appropriation for security during the World Cup, and Cornyn stated that he believes Texas will receive around $100 million of that funding. The money will be used to reimburse costs taken on by local law enforcement agencies during the games. 

According to Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux, the funds will be key to covering overtime hours worked by Dallas and Arlington police officers during the region’s nine games. The funds can also be used for equipment needs, though it was unclear from Thursday’s briefing which technologies the departments may need. 

The Department of Homeland Security announced a separate federal funding package in January to develop drone surveillance programs and counter-drone technologies ahead of the games, something Rick Burkhead, a regional safety liaison with FIFA, described as “a concern.” 

Cornyn — perhaps not that far off from the campaign trail after all — emphasized that the funding is a crucial step in affirming the federal government’s support of local law enforcement efforts. 

“To me, our support for our law enforcement agencies is non-negotiable. I know there are some who say we should defund the police, or we should abolish ICE, or we should interfere with law enforcement officers enforcing the laws of Congress,” said Cornyn. “I think that’s absolutely wrong.” 

Present at Thursday’s briefing was Christina Foley, special agent in charge of the United States Secret Service. Foley will serve as the federal coordinator for the Dallas matches, communicating between local and federal law enforcement agencies. Five departments within the Department of Homeland Security will be active in monitoring security threats throughout the World Cup, Foley said. 

What are those threats, specifically, you ask? So did the media members present on Thursday. Mums the word.

Millions of soccer fans are expected to visit Dallas for the World Cup, which Johnson touted as an “incredible opportunity to market our neck of the woods to the world.” But details were also few on whether local law enforcement leaders are communicating with federal immigration officials about plans to ensure that international visitors are not affected by President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. 

Earlier this week, the U.S. State Department stopped issuing visas to immigrants from 75 countries, including several that have already qualified for the North American games. Officials have stated that the pause will not affect tourist visas for those hoping to enter the U.S. for the World Cup. 

Still, the American Immigration Council has warned that public arrests by ICE agents, fast-changing federal policy, and altercations like the shooting of a Minneapolis woman by an ICE agent may have a chilling effect on those who are willing to travel to the U.S. for the games. 

When asked how North Texas officials were preparing for this summer’s intersection of international visitors and ICE’s presence, Cornyn described Trump’s federal immigration policy as part of the “mandate” he received from voters, said ICE’s being in North Texas “should not be a problem at all,” and moved to the next question.