Event organizers call for celebration of culture, heritage and resilience in the face of devastating immigration enforcement.
Portland, Maine – Soccer fans will gather at 12pm on June 17, 2026 at Aura Sport Grill, 121 Center Street, Portland, in anticipation of the 1pm kickoff of the World Cup match between Congo DR and Portugal. The watch party is co-hosted by the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition (MIRC) and New England African Arts & Entertainment Community Association (NEAECA).
In addition to their enthusiasm for what soccer legend Pelé called “The Beautiful Game,” these fans are also gathering to highlight the need for those traveling domestically and internationally to understand their rights while traveling for FIFA-related events.
This has become increasingly urgent in the face of extreme immigration enforcement policies and dragnet tactics that they have seen across Maine over the past year, exemplified by the arrest of Congolese community leader and Cumberland County employee Billy Bassikissa last week.
MIRC and NEAECA support what human rights groups internationally have called an ICE truce during World Cup events. MIRC has joined groups across New England in issuing a travel advisory and called on the regional FIFA host committee to address these concerns, sending them over 500 letters already.
The Travel Advisory points to 10 examples across New England and nationally over the past year that highlight the cause for their concern.
Asylum-seeking New Mainers from the two Congolese countries make up a significant portion of those impacted by the current administration’s focus on African and Latin American immigrants, according to MIRC’s recent report. [Chart below.]
