H.R. 7988 (119th)Bill Overview

Safe Passage to the World Cup Act

Immigration|Immigration
Cosponsors
Support
Democratic
Introduced
Mar 18, 2026
Discussions
Bill Text
Current stageCommittee

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Introduced
Committee
Floor
President
Law
Congressional Activities
01 · The brief

The Safe Passage to the World Cup Act bars use of federal funds by the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice to carry out civil immigration enforcement on public transit or at public transit hubs in metropolitan areas hosting 2026 FIFA World Cup matches or Fan Festivals.

The funding prohibition applies from June 11, 2026, through July 19, 2026, but exempts "exigent circumstances" such as imminent risk of death, national security threats, hot pursuit, or imminent destruction of material evidence.

The restriction is limited to civil immigration enforcement activities under the immigration laws and applies only to federal funds and federal agencies named in the bill.

Passage40/100

Temporary, focused bill reduces barriers but still raises partisan immigration and enforcement concerns and faces higher Senate procedural hurdles.

CredibilityPartially aligned

Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill clearly establishes a discrete, time-limited prohibition on use of DHS and DOJ funds for civil immigration enforcement on public transit and at transit hubs in specified metropolitan areas and supplies a structured exceptions regime, but it lacks several common execution elements such as fiscal analysis, enforcement or compliance mechanisms, more granular definitions of key terms, and reporting or oversight requirements.

Contention70/100

Liberal emphasizes immigrant safety and visitor hospitality benefits.

02 · What it does

Who stands to gain, and who may push back.

Who this appears to help vs burden50% / 50%
ImmigrantsLocal governments
Likely helped
  • ImmigrantsMay reduce fear among immigrant riders, potentially increasing transit use during World Cup events.
  • Targeted stakeholdersLikely lowers the risk of enforcement-related crowd disruptions at busy transit nodes.
  • Targeted stakeholdersTemporarily shifts DHS and DOJ operational focus away from transit enforcement activities.
Likely burdened
  • Targeted stakeholdersCreates temporary enforcement gaps that critics say could reduce removals or detentions.
  • Local governmentsShifts enforcement burdens onto state and local agencies not restricted by the funding ban.
  • Targeted stakeholdersGenerates operational uncertainty about which activities qualify as civil immigration enforcement.
03 · Why people split

Why the argument around this bill splits.

Liberal emphasizes immigrant safety and visitor hospitality benefits.
Progressive85%

Likely supportive.

The bill temporarily shields transit riders, including immigrants and visitors, from civil immigration enforcement during a major international event, reducing fear and promoting public access to transit.

It balances public-safety exceptions for violent or national-security threats.

Leans supportive
Centrist60%

Cautious but open.

The bill is narrowly time- and place-limited to the World Cup window and transit hubs, which makes it a pragmatic accommodation for visitors.

However, it raises legitimate questions about enforcement gaps, operational clarity, and public safety tradeoffs that merit tight definitions and interagency guidance.

Split reaction
Conservative20%

Likely opposed.

The bill restricts federal immigration enforcement during a defined period and location, which critics will see as undermining enforcement of immigration laws and public safety.

Exemptions for exigent circumstances may be judged too narrow or insufficient to address perceived risks.

Likely resistant
04 · Can it pass?

The path through Congress.

Introduced

Reached or meaningfully advanced

Committee

Reached or meaningfully advanced

Floor

Still ahead

President

Still ahead

Law

Still ahead

Passage likelihood40/100

Temporary, focused bill reduces barriers but still raises partisan immigration and enforcement concerns and faces higher Senate procedural hurdles.

Scope and complexity
24%
Scopenarrow
24%
Complexitylow
Why this could stall
  • No legislative cost estimate provided
  • How "civil immigration enforcement activity" will be interpreted
05 · Recent votes

Recent votes on the bill.

No vote history yet

The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.

06 · Go deeper

Go deeper than the headline read.

Included on this page

Liberal emphasizes immigrant safety and visitor hospitality benefits.

Temporary, focused bill reduces barriers but still raises partisan immigration and enforcement concerns and faces higher Senate procedural…

Unlocked analysis

Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill clearly establishes a discrete, time-limited prohibition on use of DHS and DOJ funds for civil immigration enforcement on public transit and at transit hubs in specif…

Go beyond the headline summary with full stakeholder mapping, legislative design analysis, passage barriers, and lens-by-lens tradeoff breakdowns.

Perspective breakdownsPassage barriersLegislative design reviewStakeholder impact map
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