Mullin says DHS not 'as proactive' to secure World Cup due to shutdown

Source: The Hill

05/09/26 4:16 PM ET


Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on Saturday said that his department’s preparation efforts to keep the upcoming World Cup secure have not been “as proactive” due to the 76-day funding lapse.

Mullin said during a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) press conference in Kansas City, Mo., alongside Rep. Mark Alford (R-Mo.), that the department “can still deliver” in providing security to the World Cup next month. But the shutdown put DHS’s position to keep the games secure “in jeopardy,” he said.

Kansas City will host six World Cup matches between June 16 and July 11. “We haven’t been able to be as proactive on putting those positions –– those safety measures in place, and the first match is June 11,” Mullin said. “The first one in the U.S. is in L.A., June 12. That is around the corner. We have so much work to do.”

The secretary said planning and contracts to provide housing for DHS officers “takes months.”

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5871197-homeland-security-world-cup-funding/