ACLU, NAACP accused of trying to 'sabotage' US tourism with 'fearmongering' campaign

A progressive "fearmongering" campaign ahead of the World Cup is drawing backlash as one critic accused leftist groups of trying to "sabotage" the U.S. tourist industry by targeting American business owners over their opposition to President Donald Trump.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Geoff Freeman, president of the U.S. Travel Association, called "questioning the safety of travelers" to the U.S. a "step too far." He also called discouraging international visitors from traveling to the U.S. to make a political point about the Trump administration the "height of absurdity."

"If we discourage these travelers from coming, travel businesses are going to pay a heavy price, and that's not just in the 11 [FIFA] host cities around the country, that's all around the country," he said.

"We all have policies we disagree with, and there's a way to express ourselves when we disagree with those policies. But holding the bellman, holding the waitress, holding the small travel business hostage in order to make your political point is extremely disrespectful."

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The New York Times-owned outlet The Athletic reported this week that 120 fan groups and civil society organizations published a travel advisory warning potential World Cup visitors to the U.S. about possible arbitrary detention and inhumane conditions. Groups that backed the warning included Amnesty International USA, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

The groups warned that visitors could face human rights violations in the U.S., including arbitrary denial of entry, risk of detention, invasive social media screening, searches of electronic devices, racial profiling and suppression of free speech. The advisory also warned that immigrants, ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+ individuals and others are "most vulnerable to serious harm" when traveling within the country due to the "Trump administration’s rising authoritarianism and increasing violence," according to the outlet.

The advisory called on travelers to the U.S. to "exercise caution and have an emergency contingency plan."

Though it noted concerns about previous World Cups in countries such as Russia and Qatar, The Athletic called it "highly unusual" for such warnings to come from so many civil rights organizations in a host country.

A FIFA spokesperson told Fox News Digital that "as per article 3 of the FIFA Statutes, FIFA is committed to respecting all internationally recognized human rights and shall strive to promote the protection of these rights."

The spokesperson went on that "the development and publication of the FWC2026 Sustainability and Human Rights Strategy, the FWC2026 Human Rights Framework, and the recently updated FIFA Statement on Human Rights Defenders and Media Representatives as well as the establishment of an FWC2026 Human Rights Advisory Group comprised of independent experts and the wide advertisement of the FIFA Human Rights Grievance Mechanism, are all evidence of FIFA’s commitment to human rights across all key activities and actors connected to the tournament."

Fox News Digital reached out to FIFA for comment. The White House’s World Cup Task Force has staunchly denied any such risks to visitors to the U.S.

Davis Ingle, a spokesperson for the White House, emphasized to Fox News Digital that "international visitors who legally come to the United States for the World Cup have nothing to worry about."

While emphasizing that foreign visitors must be "proactive" in preparing their travel documents ahead of time, he dismissed the advisory as "ridiculous scare tactics driven by liberal activist groups and the left-wing media."

"What makes someone a target for immigration enforcement is whether or not they are illegally in the U.S.— full stop," he explained. "Speculation to the contrary is ill-informed."

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"President Trump is focused on ensuring that this is not only an incredible experience for all fans and visitors, but also the safest and most secure in history," said Ingle. "Our mission is simple: ensure every fan – Americans and visitors alike – has a safe and unforgettable experience."

Ingle said that the Department of Homeland Security will be working with local and federal partners to secure the 2026 FIFA World Cup "in line with federal law [and] the U.S. Constitution — as we do with every major sporting event, while showcasing American greatness to the entire world."

"The FIFA 2026 World Cup will no doubt be one of the greatest and most spectacular events in the history of mankind, attracting millions of fans from around the world to eleven host cities across America," Ingle went on. "This will be a monumental event that requires close coordination between the Trump Administration, FIFA, and all of our great federal, state, and local partners."

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Transportation ripped media outlets that it said are advancing the fearmongering campaign. The spokesperson told Fox News Digital that "The New York Times should be held equally responsible for platforming these baseless claims as the Far Left activist groups making them."

"Comparing tourists who legally enter our country to illegal aliens who circumvent the system is absurd," said the DOT spokesperson. "America is the greatest and freest country in the world. We have put millions of man-hours and billions of dollars into planning and facilitating a world-class event for millions of Americans and international visitors to enjoy this summer."

A spokesperson for The Athletic responded to this by telling Fox News Digital that "The Athletic's reporting is a fact-based account of a public advisory issued by more than 120 official globally recognized organizations, making clear the positions of these groups." 

The spokesperson added that "it is the role of news journalists to report on topics of broad public interest like this," saying, "Our article also makes clear criticisms of these groups' position, including responses from both FIFA and the White House." 

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Speaking with Fox News Digital on Friday, Freeman further backed the Trump administration’s preparations. He said the administration has "taken several important steps to welcome international travelers."

Steps the administration has already taken to prepare include reducing visa wait times by creating a fast pass for those who have tickets to games and the introduction of new technologies by U.S. Customs and Border Protection to speed the processing of travelers entering the country, Freeman said.

He emphasized that the economic impact of international travel for the World Cup "has an opportunity to permeate all aspects of the United States."

"International travelers are incredibly important in the United States," he explained, noting that these travelers "spend eight times more than the average American spends when they move around the country."

"The beauty of the international traveler is they're not using our services. They're not using healthcare. They're not using the education," he said. "They're coming here, they're spending their money and they're going home, telling their friends and family, ‘Hey, you should go do the same thing.’"

"I think what the NAACP, the ACLU and other organizations are doing right now is trying to sabotage these games to make a political point," he went on, adding, "It's fearmongering to discourage tens of millions of people from coming to the United States to make a political point."

Fox News Digital reached out to Amnesty International USA, the ACLU and the NAACP for comment.