Senate Dems refusing to budge on DHS funding may cause headache for World Cup travelers

The World Cup is about 100 days from officially kicking off across North America, and for those traveling around the U.S. to watch the matches, the grappling between Senate Democrats and the White House over funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is poised to make a major impact should the issue keep playing out as it is.

DHS has been without funding for the last two weeks as negotiations between Senate Democrats and President Trump’s administration have stalled. A White House official told Fox News Digital last week that a "serious" offer was made to Senate Democrats, but nothing was agreed upon. On Tuesday, Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem faced a grilling from the Senate Judiciary Committee.

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Still, the two sides appeared to remain deadlocked even as House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., called on Democrats to hammer out a deal this week.

As the DHS warned Americans of lone wolf terror attacks in the U.S. due to the conflict in Iran, it’s World Cup fans who are likely to be looking to escape political minutia for a month that could be affected the most.

Trump’s White House Task Force that was established to coordinate the events with FIFA around the World Cup was administered out of the DHS, leaving several American host cities slated to put on critical matches without the proper federal funding and potentially putting Americans and travelers at risk, a source familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital.

"Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, the FIFA World Cup 2026 will be one of the greatest and most spectacular events in the history of mankind, right here in the United States of America," White House spokesman Davis Ingle told Fox News Digital. "This event will generate billions of dollars of economic impact and bring hundreds of thousands of jobs to our country. The President is focused on making this the greatest World Cup ever while ensuring it is the safest and most secure in history.

"The Democrats need to stop playing games and end their DHS shutdown immediately, so that the great people of America will be able to fully enjoy the experience of this historic World Cup."

It’s far from the only issue that the DHS is facing in regard to the World Cup.

Critical resources involving the rollout of funds to agencies administered out of the DHS have also taken a hit.

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FEMA has been slowed in its ability to process payments for U.S. host cities for the FIFA World Cup Grant Program, Customs and Border Protection’s Global Entry program’s services have been halted, likely causing a headache for those fans trying to make sure they get into the U.S. without an issue and interagency training exercises to ensure the safety of World Cup attendees may be halted until the funding arrives, the source said.

"The Department of Homeland Security is absolutely integral to delivering a safe, secure, and successful World Cup," White House Task Force on FIFA World Cup 2026 executive director Andrew Giuliani told Fox News Digital. "From protecting America’s air sovereignty to keeping our cities safe, DHS brings together intelligence, border security, emergency management, and coordination with state and local law enforcement across the country.

"It’s time for the Democrats to end the shutdown, so DHS can continue its critical mission of protecting the American people and ensuring that everyone coming here for the World Cup can do so safely and securely."

Top Republican officials also spoke out on the stalemate.

"As threats increase, and we prepare for major global events on U.S. soil this summer and midterm elections this fall, thousands of employees at agencies like TSA, CISA and FEMA continue to show up every day to keep their fellow Americans safe, but they are working without pay," said House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rep. Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y. "Operational disruptions caused by the shutdown have the potential to undermine the security of our critical infrastructure and transportation systems, while continued financial uncertainty for personnel threatens to cause longer-term damage to the Department as a whole. 

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"World Cup and law enforcement stakeholders testified to the Committee last week, warning that delays in federal funding could seriously undermine planning and preparedness for the largest sporting event in history. The House did its job to avoid this unnecessary lapse in DHS funding by passing a bipartisan FY2026 DHS appropriations bill. Because of Democrats’ political decision, our homeland is more vulnerable to threats — and that’s a risk we cannot accept."

Texas Republican Rep. Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee’s Task Force on Securing the Homeland Amidst Special Events, called on Democrats to put Americans’ safety first.

"With the first FIFA World Cup game just 100 days away, now is the time to urgently secure venues, counter drone threats, and coordinate law enforcement activity," McCaul said. "Instead, Democrats’ shutdown has much of that vital preparation on pause, jeopardizing the safety of millions of Americans and international visitors. In today’s elevated threat environment, the stakes are simply far too high for partisan games."

Sens. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., and Rick Scott, R-Fla., echoed the call to end "political games" over the funding debate.

Democrats refused to change their stances on funding the DHS until changes are made to Trump’s immigration strategy. The U.S. and Israeli joint military operation in Iran has not appeared to temper their demands.

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., was among those to reject Republican demands.

"We gave fair warning to the Republicans that we were serious about reining in what the ICE forces are doing. What we’re talking about is responsible," he told Politico.

"It’s very easy for them to get all of this funded, simply to agree to our commonsense proposals on ICE and Border Patrol," Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Tuesday. "In terms of our negotiations, look, we’re still far apart."

At this point, soccer fans may have to brace for a gnarly slide tackle in the summer as the debate continues between both sides of the aisle.

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