Advocacy groups urge officials to keep ICE away from Bank of America Stadium for US vs. Senegal

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) – Advocacy groups are calling on local officials and event leaders to keep Immigration and Customs Enforcement away from Sunday’s U.S. Men’s National Team match at Bank of America Stadium.

The U.S. Men’s National Team is scheduled to face Senegal at Bank of America Stadium on Sunday, May 31, many are arguing that a visible ICE presence could intimidate fans and impact turnout.

The push follows a recent social media post featuring the Department of Homeland Security secretary discussing immigration enforcement at upcoming major soccer events.

In the video, the speaker says, “When you have crowds this big, criminal activities follow. Well ICE and HSI are going to be out there every day.”

Local advocates say the message has fueled anxiety ahead of the Charlotte match, which is one of the final tune-ups before the World Cup begins in a few weeks.

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“We want to see their commitment to actually supporting our community and standing against violence against our community,” said Hector Vaca of Action NC.

Vaca pointed to lingering fear in parts of Charlotte’s Latino community following prior immigration-related operations in the area. While local law enforcement cannot bar federal agents from operating in the city, advocates are urging agencies not to cooperate with immigration enforcement around the event.

“They can at least put out a public statement saying that they’re not welcome if they’re not able to actively ban them,” Vaca said. He added that police can continue policies that limit cooperation “if there are no judicial warrants.”

Advocates have also called for immigration-enforcement-free zones around the stadium, though the authority to create such zones is unclear.

WBTV reached out to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and the city for details about any plans tied to the match but did not receive a response.

Beyond safety concerns, advocates say fear could carry an economic cost for the city. The Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority has reported major events can drive hotel demand, and Charlotte Sports estimates Sunday’s match could generate as much as $26 million in economic impact based on comparable events.

At Estadio Azteca, a soccer store in east Charlotte, Jose Conchas said a match of this scale typically brings “ventas, muy buenas ventas” — big sales — as fans shop for gear ahead of kickoff.

Vaca said measures to reassure immigrant communities could help both public confidence and small businesses still recovering from past disruptions.

“Everything that we’re asking for would go a long way to healing our city and actually rebuilding our economy here in Charlotte,” Vaca said.

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