ICE Clarifies Its Role in Canada Ahead of the FIFA World Cup

ICE Clarifies Its Role in Canada Ahead of the FIFA World Cup

Amid growing concerns over the potential deployment of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at World Cup venues in Canada, the agency has issued a statement clarifying its operations in the country.

According to ICE, its personnel do not carry guns or make arrests while operating in Canada. Instead, they work closely with Canadian partners on joint investigations involving narcotics, weapons smuggling, and human trafficking.

The presence of US agents in Canada has raised fears that they will be deployed at World Cup venues, with Toronto's city council recently passing a motion to oppose such a move. However, ICE has stated that its agents do not conduct operational activities in Canada, including executing search warrants or making arrests.

ICE operates out of five offices in Canada, including in World Cup host cities Toronto and Vancouver, which will host 13 fixtures between them. However, it's worth noting that ICE has no authority or jurisdiction on Canadian soil, as confirmed by a spokesperson for federal Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree.

Under federal law, immigration agents have the authority to arrest and detain people believed to have violated immigration law in the US. This has been a point of contention in the past, with hundreds of protesters gathering in Italy's Milan in February to reject the presence of ICE agents in the city before the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina Winter Games.