U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it regularly provides security at big sporting events in response to questions about the agency's presence at the FIFA Club World Cup amid President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown.
"U.S. Customs and Border Protection is committed to working with our local and federal partners to ensure the FIFA Club World Cup 26 is safe for everyone involved, as we do with every major sporting event, including the Super Bowl. Our mission remains unchanged," the agency said Thursday in response to an inquiry by The Associated Press.
The agency had previously deleted a social media post that said its officers would be “suited and booted” for the opening round this weekend of Club World Cup games.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino addressed questions about CBP involvement during an event earlier this week promoting Saturday's opener between Inter Miami and Al Ahly at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
“No, I don't have any concerns about anything in the sense that we are already attentive on any security question," Infantino said. "Of course, the most important for us is to guarantee security for all fans who come to the games. And this is our priority.”
Border Patrol agents have routinely been called in to help with security for large events, including the Super Bowl. They handle things like screening cargo shipments into stadiums for hazardous materials and contribute to emergency planning.
At last year's Copa America final at Hard Rock Stadium, throngs of fans breached security gates and forced the game to be delayed.
The Club World Cup opener Saturday comes amid protests in several cities over actions by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
The Club World Cup features 32 teams from across the globe playing in 11 cities nationwide through July 13.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Law enforcement personnel walk outside Hard Rock Stadium during preparations for Saturday's opening match in the Club World Cup soccer tournament, Wednesday, June 11, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump signed a New Year's Eve proclamation delaying increased tariffs on upholstered furniture, kitchen cabinets and vanities for a year, citing ongoing trade talks.
Trump's order signed Wednesday keeps in place a 25% tariff he imposed in September on those goods, but delays for another year a 30% tariff on upholstered furniture and 50% tariff on kitchen cabinets and vanities.
The increases, which were set to take effect Jan. 1, come as the Republican president instituted a broad swath of taxes on imported goods to address trade imbalances and other issues.
The president has said the tariffs on furniture are needed to “bolster American industry and protect national security.”
The delay is the latest in the roller coaster of Trump's tariff wars since he returned to office last year, with the president announcing levies at times without warning and then delaying or pulling back from them just as abruptly.
The Trump administration on Wednesday also signaled it may back away from a steep tariff proposed on Italian pasta that would have put the rate at 107%. The U.S. had threatened to add a heavy tariff on Italian pasta makers after the U.S. Commerce Department launched what it said was a routine antidumping review based on allegations that the pasta makers sold product into the US at below-market prices and undercut local competitors.
A final decision on the sanctions was scheduled for Jan. 2, with the option of extending it.
The Commerce Department said Wednesday that based on a new review, the rates would be lowered to between 2.26% and 13.89% for the pasta makers because they had addressed many of the department's concerns. A final decision is now set for March 12.
Italian farm lobby Coldiretti and another food industry association, Filiera Italia, welcomed the development. The two lobby groups had strongly objected to the original tariffs and urged the Italian government to intervene.
The two associations said the original proposed tariffs would have doubled the cost of a plate of pasta for American families, “opening the door to Italian-sounding products and penalizing the authentic quality of Made in Italy.”
They reported that in 2024, Italian pasta exports to the U.S. amounted to €671 million ($787 million).
“Coldiretti and Filiera Italia will continue to defend our premium pasta exported to the U.S. market, which we have also supported with a strong campaign in the international media,” the associations said in a statement.
Associated Press writer Nicole Winfield in Rome contributed to this report.
President Donald Trump speaks at a New Year's Eve celebration at his Mar-a-Lago club, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
