Several groups concerned about international tourists’ rights ahead of the World Cup announced a travel alert to the U.S., particularly Florida.
The announcement was made outside FIFA’s offices in South Florida by groups including ACLU of Florida, Florida Immigrant Coalition and American Friends Service Committee. Their message was for visitors to “strongly” reconsider travel to Florida due to what they called multiple cases of tourists and U.S. citizens being detained for immigration enforcement purposes.
Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a response Friday that the alert came from “left-wing groups, not ‘civil rights’ groups.”
“How many years have left-wing groups pulled this travel advisory stunt vis-a-vis Florida?” DeSantis posted on social media.
But what is a travel alert and who can issue one?
Technically, travel alerts, advisories or bans come from the government.
The president is the one who has authority to issue travel bans, which suspends or imposes restrictions on non-citizens coming into the U.S.
Travel advisories are issued by the U.S. Department of State. The purposes is to describe risks and recommended precautions for U.S. citizens, not international travelers, to a foreign destination.
The government has four levels of travel advisories.
Throngs of soccer fans from around the world are expected to descend on the U.S. for the the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which begins in June.
Various matches, including seven scheduled to be played in South Florida. Mark Pieth, a Swiss attorney who chaired an oversight committee on FIFA reform, urged fans to skip the World Cup.
“There’s only one piece of advice for fans,” he told the Swiss newspaper Der Bund. “Stay away from the USA! You’ll see it better on TV anyway. And upon arrival, fans should expect that if they don’t please officials, they’ll be put straight on the next flight home. If they’re lucky.”
Bryan Griffin, president and CEO of Visit Florida, told USA Today Network on Friday the Florida travel alerts made this week by the various groups are ridiculous.
“These ‘advisories’ are ridiculous and, unfortunately, politically-motivated stunts that needlessly seek to harm our state and industry,” Griffin said. “Lawful visitors to our state have no reason to be concerned. Florida welcomes hundreds of thousands of travelers daily and is looking forward to being a hub for World Cup celebrations for residents and travelers alike. Visitors can expect an enjoyable, safe, and easy travel experience in Florida.”
Michelle Spitzer is a journalist for The USA TODAY NETWORK-FLORIDA. As the network’s Rapid Response reporter, she covers Florida’s breaking news. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.

source