The Department of Homeland Security has launched a major multiagency effort aimed at securing the FIFA World Cup games across the United States as the event gets underway.The department will deploy a collection of its 270,000 employees to assist in securing the World Cup through counterterrorism, emergency response, border security, and criminal investigations — but not immigration enforcement.“Our brave DHS law enforcement and intelligence officials are working diligently to ensure a safe World Cup for Americans and international visitors to enjoy,” a DHS spokesperson wrote in a statement. “DHS is working around the clock with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to identify and mitigate potential threats to World Cup matches, fan fests, and to a travel sector that will see a dramatic increase in traffic.”
Federal resources are being deployed based on DHS’s special event assessment ratings. Events with a SEAR 1 score are defined as significant events with national and/or international importance that require extensive federal interagency support, whereas SEAR 2 events are ones that “may require some” federal assistance.
The DHS has not disclosed how many employees from various federal agencies will be pulled from their normal work to assist with the games before, during the June 12 through July 19 games, and afterward.
