Federal Agents Expected at Rose Bowl FIFA Club World Cup Match

Federal agents will help provide security at today’s FIFA Club World Cup match at the Rose Bowl. Paris Saint-Germain faces Atlético de Madrid at 12 p.m.

“In preparation for the upcoming FIFA soccer matches at the Rose Bowl, the City of Pasadena works closely with county, federal, state, and local partners to ensure the safety of our residents, visitors, and event attendees,” City spokesperson Lisae Derderian said Sunday. “This is standard protocol for high-profile events hosted at the Rose Bowl.”

Derderian clarified that the City does not work with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, but “federal resources.” The City of Pasadena has established policy prohibiting local police from assisting with federal immigration enforcement.

Earlier in June, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued statements that confirmed their presence at tournament venues nationwide. The monthlong, 32-team tournament runs through July 13 and includes six first-round games at the Rose Bowl between June 15 to 25.

“As is customary for an event of this magnitude with national security implications, ICE will be working alongside our Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice partners to help ensure the safety and security of the event,” an ICE spokesperson told MSNBC.

CBP posted on social media that agents would be “suited and booted and ready to provide security for the first round of games” before deleting the post.

“U.S. Customs and Border Protection is committed to working with our local and federal partners to ensure the FIFA Club World Cup is safe for everyone involved, as we do with every major sporting event, including the Super Bowl,” a CBP spokesperson told Yahoo Sports.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended the security measures. “The most important for us is to guarantee security for all the fans who come to the games,” he told The Daily Star.

The Department of Homeland Security, which includes ICE and CBP, is the largest federal law enforcement agency with approximately 80,000 officers across nine agencies.