PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 5, 2026

Despite FIFA’s Human Rights Promises, U.S. Host Cities Fail to Protect Against Human Trafficking and Other Human Rights Risks

Los Angeles — On June 5, 2026, the Sunita Jain Anti-Trafficking Initiative (SJI) at Loyola Law School released an updated review of human rights planning for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, warning that most host cities still have not released final human rights plans. The review also found that even cities with finalized reports have not secured dedicated FIFA funding for prevention efforts, outreach, survivor services, independent oversight, or public accountability.

Since SJIs’ last review, Boston, Dallas, and Houston have joined Atlanta in issuing final human rights reports or plans. As a result, only four U.S. host cities — Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, and Houston — have publicly released final human rights materials. Most others, including Los Angeles, have either not released a plan at all or have only shared partial materials, such as resource guides, website statements, executive summaries, advisory committee materials, or prevention initiatives.

Advocates say the updated chart reflects a troubling national pattern: FIFA and local host committees continue to rely on existing laws, law enforcement coordination, awareness campaigns, and community partnerships without committing the funding, timelines, measurable benchmarks, or enforceable protections needed to prevent human trafficking, labor exploitation, displacement, discrimination, and other foreseeable harms connected to one of the world’s largest sporting events.

“Four final reports out of eleven host cities is not a human rights strategy. It is a warning sign,” said Paloma Bustos, Policy Associate at the Sunita Jain Anti-Trafficking Initiative at Loyola Law School. “The World Cup is days away, and most host cities still have not publicly shown how they will prevent harm, protect workers, support survivors, or hold FIFA and local organizers accountable. A billion-dollar industry cannot claim to uphold human rights while leaving cities and communities to absorb the risk.”

As detailed in SJI’s report, Preventing and Addressing Human Trafficking Related to Major Sporting Events, FIFA should dedicate approximately $2.75–$3.1 million per host city to anti-trafficking prevention, survivor services, independent evaluation, and worker protections. This investment would represent less than one percent of FIFA’s projected revenues and a relatively small cost to help prevent trafficking, protect workers and immigrants, and strengthen long-term human rights protections in host communities.

Updated Chart Shows Most Host Cities Still Lack Final Human Rights Plans

The updated review identifies the following status across host cities:

• Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, and Houston have released final human rights reports or plans.
• Los Angeles has released a Human Rights Resource Guide, but advocates say it is not a human rights plan because it primarily lists existing laws and hotline numbers without outlining  a prevention strategy, operational plan, funding commitments, or public accountability mechanisms.
• Kansas City, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle have not released final human rights plans, though some have issued partial materials, website statements, advisory committee materials, or related initiatives.
• Dedicated funding tied to human rights planning remains largely absent, with limited exceptions primarily connected to law enforcement activities rather than survivor services, worker protections, prevention, community outreach, or independent 

Advocates say the lack of planning is especially concerning because major sporting events are known to increase risks for labor exploitation, housing instability, displacement, discrimination, immigration-related fear, and human trafficking. They say those risks require advance planning, funded services, worker-centered protections, and clear public reporting.

Final Plans Still Fall Short of Basic Accountability Standards

Advocates emphasized that the existence of a final report does not necessarily mean a host city has adopted an adequate human rights plan. The final reports released by Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, and Houston include  references to training, awareness, stakeholder engagement, and coordination with law enforcement, service providers, hotels, transportation partners, vendors, and community organizations. However, advocates say the reports still fall short because they generally do not establish new legal protections, dedicated survivor-support funding, independent investigative authority, binding obligations for FIFA or contractors, measurable anti-trafficking benchmarks, public reporting requirements, or independent oversight mechanisms.

“Training and awareness are not enough,” Bustos said. “A real human rights plan must answer basic questions: Who is responsible? What resources have been committed? What protections are enforceable? How will workers and survivors safely access help? How will the public know whether any of this worked?”

Advocates are particularly concerned that the plans rely heavily on existing legal frameworks and law enforcement systems without adequately addressing labor trafficking, immigrant worker vulnerability, retaliation risks, access to legal services, contractor accountability, or long-term survivor support.

Los Angeles Still Has No Human Rights Plan

Advocates renewed their criticism of the Los Angeles host committee and the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment Commission, noting that Los Angeles still has not released a human rights plan. On May 1, LA FIFA 26 posted a webpage titled LA FIFA 26 + Human Rights, but advocates say it is a resource guide — not a plan.

The guide lists existing federal, state, and local laws and provides hotline numbers for individuals seeking assistance regarding potential human and civil rights concerns. It does not include a human rights risk assessment, prevention strategy, labor trafficking plan, funding commitments, operational timeline, contractor accountability provisions, independent oversight, or measurable public reporting.

“Los Angeles has the expertise, the community partners, and the evidence base to do this right,” Bustos said. “What is missing is not knowledge. What is missing is leadership, funding, and a willingness to require FIFA and local organizers to do more than point people to laws that already exist.”

Advocates Call on FIFA and Host Cities to Fund Human Rights Protections Immediately

Advocates are calling on FIFA, local host committees, and public officials in each host city to take immediate action before the tournament begins, including:

• Release final human rights plans in every host city. 

• Commit dedicated funding for trafficking prevention, survivor services, worker outreach, legal services, language access, and community-based response. 

• Establish independent oversight and public reporting mechanisms.

• Require binding human rights obligations for vendors, contractors, hotels, transportation partners, security providers, and FIFA-related entities.

• Include labor trafficking, wage theft, retaliation, immigration-related fear, and housing displacement in all risk assessments and operational plans.

• Ensure that survivor-led, worker-led, immigrant-led, and community-based organizations are funded—not merely consulted. 

“Communities should not be asked to volunteer their expertise while FIFA profits from the event,” said Bustos. “If FIFA is serious about human rights, it must fund the protections that make those rights real.”

The Fair Games Coalition added: “The updated chart shows the same problem across the country: too little, too late, and almost no money for the communities carrying the risk. FIFA and the host committees must stop treating human rights as a public relations exercise.”

Human Rights Planning Must Extend Beyond the World Cup

Advocates emphasized that the gaps identified in the review  should inform future planning for major sporting and entertainment events, including the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.

“Los Angeles and other host cities cannot keep repeating the same cycle: promise human rights during the bid, release vague materials near the event, and leave communities without funding or accountability,” Bustos said. “Human rights protections must be built into contracts, budgets, operations, and public oversight from the beginning.”

Advocates said they will continue monitoring host city planning and urging public officials, host committees, and FIFA to address the gaps identified in the updated chart.

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