Soccer Fans Fear Being Targets of U.S. Immigration Raids

Manny Mizael swapped Brazil for Boston 27 years ago, but his passion for a soccer team based nearly 5,000 miles away in Rio de Janeiro burns as bright as ever.

So much so that Mizael helps run a supporters club based in Massachusetts for the team, Flamengo, one of Brazil’s most popular. His group regularly hosts match screenings that draw hundreds of fans.

But this year, fan WhatsApp groups began lighting up with chatter about the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown almost as much as about Flamengo’s latest successes. Fears were so high that the group scrapped a watch party in February, Mizael said, out of concerns that it could become a target for an immigration raid. Many of the fans are from outside the United States and lack legal status.

“People are being snatched off the streets and getting arrested,” Mizael said. “We decided not to do the game because we thought it could ruin the lives of many people.”

The cancellation was a preview of how President Trump’s immigration policies are shaping up to affect next year’s World Cup, the most-watched event in sports. It is expected to draw about 6.5 million people, mostly to the United States, where most matches will be played. (Canada and Mexico are co-hosting the tournament.) Fans routinely go all out for once-in-a-lifetime trips to the World Cup, drawing down years of savings or putting off major purchases like homes to pay for travel.