DHS shutdown threatens World Cup security as GOP raises alarm

The ongoing government shutdown over Homeland Security funding could disrupt security planning for the FIFA World Cup and raise concerns among lawmakers as U.S. cities prepare to host games this summer.

Republicans in Congress are warning that with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shut down due to funding cuts, host cities in both blue and red states preparing for the games could fall behind in planning later this year.

“If we don’t get that done, I think it’s going to become a real concern quickly. [DHS] Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., told Fox News Digital.

The World Cup will start in June and will be held in the USA, Canada and Mexico. New Jersey, New York, Boston, Dallas, Houston, St. Several US cities will host matches, including St. Louis, Atlanta, Miami, Philadelphia, the San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle.

DHS is the main agency responsible for keeping host cities safe as local authorities prepare for the influx of fans from around the world. The agency was closed for two weeks as negotiations between the White House and Senate Democrats stalled.

Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., told Fox News Digital that he frequently discusses World Cup preparations with local officials but has yet to hear concerns about the impact of the shutdown.

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Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, warned that Democrats’ blockade of DHS funding could impact the security build-out in the run-up to the FIFA World Cup in the United States (Nathan Posner/Anatolia via Getty Images)

“So look, if this is what Republican senators are concerned about, then have them pressure the White House to move forward with these negotiations,” Kim said. “You know, I feel like they’re not moving forward with the urgency that the American people want to see.”

Congressional Democrats have blocked funding for DHS in an effort to enact Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reforms, but both parties have been unable to agree on a path forward.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital that it was clear to him that the shutdown could impact efforts to ramp up preparations for the World Cup, but said he had not yet heard concerns from local officials.

“I think the Democrats took the wrong hostage,” Cornyn said. “I mean, they’re angry about immigration enforcement that they don’t believe in, but they’re holding the TSA and FEMA and the Coast Guard hostage and they have nothing to do with it.”

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Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, speaks at a Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing on January 14, 2025 in Washington. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Senate Democrats argue the White House has shown little urgency in reopening DHS, citing a slowdown in negotiations last week.

They put the onus on the Trump administration to end the shutdown, even though Republicans publicly opposed many of their demands, including requiring ICE agents to obtain judicial clearance and avoid wearing masks, among other changes.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., told Fox News Digital that she had not heard from officials in Boston about possible disruptions to World Cup preparations. He argued that Democrats’ demands that ICE follow the same rules as local police forces are reasonable.

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Warren dismissed the criticism as typical political posturing.

“Well, that seems to be the norm for the Trump administration,” he said. “All talk, no action.”

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