McCaul: Securing the FIFA World Cup for Millions of Visitors

As chairman of the Special Events Task Force, I will continue doing everything in my power to ensure these games are fun and safe for everyone involved.

Texas Insider Report: WASHINGTON, D.C. – In just 41 days, the first FIFA World Cup match will kick off, bringing an unprecedented number of global spectators to our homeland. As chairman of the Homeland Security Committee's "Task Force on Securing the Homeland Amidst Special Events," I have been laser-focused on security preparations for these games. As transnational gangs and nation-state adversaries increasingly use unmanned aircraft systems — or drones — to carry out attacks around the world, we must do everything in our power to secure the airspace over our 11 U.S. host cities. That's why this week, I wrote to Secretary Hegseth, Acting Attorney General Blanche, and Secretary Mullin, urging the administration to empower the National Guard to counter drone-related threats.

With its rapid deployability and extensive experience responding to domestic emergencies, the National Guard is uniquely positioned to assist with drone mitigation and unified coordination for World Cup security. Click here to read Reuters' coverage of my letter to these administration officials.

I am also incredibly glad that yesterday, the House passed a funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security, which is critical for closing security gaps ahead of our upcoming FIFA World Cup games. Despite Democrats' attempts to play political games by removing ICE and CBP funding, I am also relieved this bill funded CBP's National Targeting Center, which works to identify and stop travelers and cargo that pose a threat to our nation.

As chairman of the Special Events Task Force, I will continue doing everything in my power to ensure these games are fun and safe for everyone involved. Our next order of business must be funding CBP and ICE — including ICE's crucial Homeland Security Investigations office, which leads essential anti-human trafficking efforts at large-scale sporting events