A group of SoFi Stadium workers in Los Angeles have voted to authorize a strike, with the venue set to host the first U.S. match in the World Cup next week.
The union representing the workers said on Friday its members, including cashiers, concession workers, bartenders, dishwashers, cooks and food attendants, voted 96% in favor of a strike. "Workers could walk off the job at any moment if their demands are not met," UNITE HERE Local 11 said.
Workers' demands include higher pay, security on the job and protections against subcontracting and other potential threats to the erosion of union jobs. A top concern among workers is the role of federal immigration enforcement officers at the games, amid the Trump administration's aggressive immigration crackdown. As part of the negotiations, UNITE HERE Local 11 has asked FIFA to demand that both the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol will play no role at the World Cup.
Yolanda Fierro, a union member who works at SoFi, said in a statement on Friday she is ready to strike if a deal is not reached.
"Fans from around the world will come expecting an unforgettable event, and we take pride in making that happen," Fierro said. "But no worker should have to fear being separated from their family or worry about dangerous ICE activity while simply doing their job. We deserve to feel safe, respected, and protected at work."
Negotiations between the union and Legends Global, which manages hospitality services at SoFi Stadium, as well as FIFA are scheduled to continue Monday, the union said.
The U.S. men's team will compete against Paraguay at the stadium on June 12.
Kurt Petersen, co-president of UNITE HERE Local 11 told the Associated Press that negotiations have been moving at a "glacial" pace and that there has been an agreement on minimum wage increases for cooks and dishwashers.
NPR reached out to FIFA and Legends Global for comment on Saturday but has not yet received a response.
Legends Global told the AP in a statement that it looks "forward to delivering an outstanding hospitality experience for fans at the FIFA World Cup matches at SoFi Stadium."
LA County Sheriff Robert Luna said earlier this week that he was told by a local Department of Homeland Security official that federal agents would be at the World Cup to ensure a secure games but that they would not be conducting immigration enforcement.
"It's going to take all of us to make sure that all the venues, the scoped and unscoped events, are secure. But in regard to civil immigration enforcement they told us that specifically would not be occurring at any of the games," he said.
Luna continued, "Any of that is subject to change, but I have trust that they're giving me the appropriate information because if that starts occurring, we're going to have a whole new host of problems."
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said during an interview that aired on Fox News Monday that ICE and other federal agencies would be present at the matches "not for immigration but for terrorist threats."
In a statement to NPR on Saturday, DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis did not confirm whether agents would be conducting immigration enforcement at the games.
"DHS will work with our local and federal partners to secure 2026 FIFA World Cup — in line with federal law and the U.S. Constitution — as we do with every major sporting event "to ensure all fans have "a safe and unforgettable experience."
The department also referred NPR to an ICE social media post from last month, which said its agents "will play a pivotal role in combatting [sic] human trafficking as well as stopping counterfeit merchandise and counterfeit ticket sales."
The international competition begins June 11 and includes 78 matches played across the U.S.
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