Hospitality Workers at SoFi Stadium Threaten Strike One Week Before World Cup

When organizers chose Los Angeles as a host city for the 2026 World Cup, they expected SoFi Stadium’s futuristic design to help showcase the tournament to the world.

Instead, with just seven days until the United States opens its World Cup campaign against Paraguay at the venue, workers are threatening to strike over wages, job security and concerns about immigration enforcement.

U.S. media outlets reported that workers at SoFi Stadium, which will be renamed Los Angeles Stadium for the duration of the World Cup, are voting on whether to authorize a strike as they continue pushing for better pay and job security. Workers are also seeking clarity about the role Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents will play on matchdays.

“The main concern, first of all, is the ICE issue being on the grounds,” worker Yolanda Fierro told CBS News. “Myself and my co-workers are a little bit scared of coming to work, because I do have a lot of employees that are here on working visas from different countries.”

Fierro and thousands of other workers remain uneasy about reporting to work at SoFi Stadium.

In recent months, the Department of Homeland Security, ICE’s parent agency, has said immigration enforcement agents will be present near the stadium to target counterfeiters and traffickers. However, officials have not provided detailed guidance about the agency’s broader role during matches.

In May, DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said ICE agents would not attend matches to conduct mass immigration arrests, but added that immigration-related enforcement actions in host cities and around venues remain a possibility.

“Well, ICE always does immigration enforcement. We’re always going to do that. But we’re not there solely for that purpose. We’re there to do our job,” Mullin said. “We’re not there to go round up mass individuals, but we are always looking for the worst of the worst. We’re going to continue to do that.”

According to Unite Here Local 11, which represents nearly 2,000 hospitality workers at SoFi Stadium, voting on the potential strike is scheduled to conclude June 6. The union and management are expected to return to the bargaining table June 8.

Fierro and many other workers said they are prepared to walk off the job if a deal cannot be reached.

“If I get snatched up by ICE, who’s going to take care of my family?” Fierro said. “What’s going to happen to my personal property, such as homes, vehicles, things like that?”

SoFi Stadium, which opened in 2020, is scheduled to host eight World Cup matches, including the U.S. men’s national team’s opening game and three knockout-round matches.

Originally published on Latin Times