The US hopes to lay out a giant welcome mat for international tourists at next year's Fifa World Cup but geopolitics and the Trump administration's harsh anti-immigrant stance could discourage some from visiting.
A surge in tourism would bring a boost for businesses after a projected decline in overall visitor numbers since President Donald Trump took office in January. He began a clampdown on illegal immigration but tourists have sometimes become targets of more aggressive border enforcement, ending in long detention for claimed visa breaches.
Next year's World Cup, which will be co-hosted with Canada and Mexico, starts on June 11 and ends with the final on July 19 in New Jersey.
Andrew Giuliani, the son of former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, leads the White House's Fifa World Cup 2026 Task Force aimed at ensuring the gargantuan event runs flawlessly.
He said on Wednesday that he expects between five and 11 million extra visitors for the World Cup, which will take place in 11 US cities including Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Miami.
“Our message is simple. We can secure our borders while opening our doors to the world,” Mr Giuliani told a media conference.
But Mr Giuliani, who worked in the first Trump administration and frequently plays golf with the President, faced a host of questions about how welcoming the US can really be after nearly a year of harsh comments about other countries, including several that have qualified for the World Cup.
On Tuesday, the Trump administration halted immigration applications from citizens of 19 “high-risk countries”. The same countries had already been subject to a June travel ban for visitor visas.
The list of banned countries includes Haiti and Iran, both of which have qualified for the World Cup. Mr Giuliani said exemptions will allow the teams, their immediate families and support staff to come to the US. But fans would remain subject to travel bans.
“Visas are a national security issue,” he said.
Mr Giuliani said US consulates have hired extra staff and slashed waiting times for
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