As the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaches, plans for the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) to be present at tournament venues have sparked a new protest campaign in the art world. The initiative, called "No Ice in the Cup," responds to this possibility with artistic posters.
The campaign has grown with contributions from artists in ten of the eleven US cities hosting the World Cup. The posters combine local themes with a message of solidarity against pressures on immigrant communities.
Campaign Launched by Horizons Project
The initiative was launched on May 6 by the Horizons Project, which brings together pro-democracy movements and networks. The campaign aims to mobilize people through art and raise public awareness against practices that could target immigrant communities during the tournament.
Organizer Paola Mendoza highlighted the World Cup as a globally watched event and expressed their desire to openly oppose ICE’s presence. Mendoza also emphasized drawing attention to ICE’s violence, injustice, and humiliating treatment of immigrant communities.
Different Posters Created City by City
Los Angeles artist Chris Stewart’s work depicts a man in a Mexico jersey being pulled by two arms. Hana Natsuhara from Seattle created a coffee-themed design referencing the city’s identity tied to Starbucks.
Miami’s Johann C. Muñoz-Tapasco’s poster stands out with a text-heavy composition featuring a drawing of an alligator holding a soccer ball in its mouth and the message "We don’t want ICE in our waters."
The New York poster shows a group of soccer players standing against ICE agents equipped with tactical gear. The artist, Cristy Road Carrera, a New York-based illustrator of Cuban descent, shared her involvement in the campaign.
Artists’ Connection to the World Cup
Road Carrera said she has followed the tournament since the 1990s and views the World Cup as a space of community, joy, and empowerment especially for immigrant groups. She believes ICE’s intrusion into these spaces undermines the special meaning the tournament holds.
For this reason, she considers creating artwork for the campaign important. The posters aim to highlight the beauty of the game and the sense of community built around it.
Backlash Against ICE Overshadows the Tournament
The campaign emerged amid widespread backlash against ICE’s harsh raids and city occupations nationwide. A June 4 Washington Post–University of Maryland poll found that about two-thirds of Americans oppose ICE agents being present in World Cup stadiums.
On April 23, over 120 civil society organizations issued a travel advisory for visitors, warning of serious rights violations such as arbitrary entry denial, detention, and deportation risks.
Additional reports fueling these concerns surfaced, including news that some travelers from Canada and European countries were held for days or weeks in ICE detention centers, sparking public debate.
Incidents during operations like Minneapolis’ Operation Metro Surge, where civilians were shot, further intensified reactions. The attacks that killed Renée Good and Alex Pretti were recorded and led to national outrage.
Security and Political Tensions Ahead of the Tournament
In this atmosphere, some fans are reportedly hesitant to travel to the US. The American Hotel and Lodging Association cited the risk of ICE detention as one reason for lower-than-expected hotel bookings in host cities.
Federal officials have stated they will not conduct enforcement operations in Los Angeles during the tournament. However, Mendoza argued that ICE’s visible presence at the World Cup could signal a broader crackdown extending to election polling places.
Mendoza said the next demand would be to keep ICE out of voting centers. Thus, the campaign has evolved into a protest not only against the soccer tournament but also addressing the political tensions ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
