After troubled World Cup lead-in, UN human rights chief urges 'rethink' of US immigration policy

GENEVA (AP) — The United Nations’ top human rights official called Wednesday for a “massive rethink” of immigration policies especially in the United States around the World Cup.

Issues around “racial profiling, surveillance and immigration enforcement” were cited by U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk even before the 48-nation, 39-day tournament starts Thursday.

Iran’s team was moved from a training camp in Arizona to Mexico, some Iranian officials were denied U.S. entry visas, Africa’s top referee from Somalia was refused entry in Miami and images circulated of a Senegal player being frisked by a security guard on airport tarmac.

“We have seen some of the scenes,” Türk told reporters at a briefing at the U.N.’s human rights agency headquarters.

“I hope that the issues around racial profiling, around surveillance, around immigration enforcement are not going to affect this World Cup in the way that they have already done,” the Austrian lawyer said.

The U.S. is hosting most of the 104 games in a shared project with Canada and Mexico, though it is only the policies of federal agencies under U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration that have drawn criticism.

“I really hope that there is a massive rethink of how immigration enforcement is respecting human rights and human dignity,” Türk said, “and that especially for the World Cup there is a rethink of the policies that we are unfortunately seeing prevailing especially in the U.S. at the moment.”

Türk said global sports should be “where the world comes together in unity and in peace.”

“It is clear that the environment in which mega sport events including the World Cup take place need to provide a dignified and safe environment, for the teams that compete but also for the supporters, for the whole society and frankly for the world,” he said.

Fans from countries like Morocco and Scotland, who spent thousands of dollars on flights, hotels and tickets for the most expensive World Cup ever, have reported having their travel documents denied or revoked just days before they were due to travel.

FIFA’s bidding rules in 2017 for nations wanting to host this World Cup stated visa processing “must be applied in a non-discriminatory manner,” with the caveat it must not “adversely affect the national immigration and security standards.”

In the case of Somali referee Omar Artan, a U.S. official said he was refused admission due to “association with suspected members of terror organizations,” though without specifying details or providing proof.

FIFA was unable to protect the referee it picked for World Cup duty despite its president Gianni Infantino building closer ties to Trump and administration officials in the past 18 months.

FIFA also has aligned itself with UN guiding principles on business and human rights that it pledged should be respected at its tournaments.

Türk highlighted a wider point about the treatment of people worldwide moving between different nations.

“I also hope that the dehumanization of the other, the dehumanization of migrants, the dehumanization of refugees and asylum seekers is put to an end,” he said. “Nobody benefits from divisive and polarizing narratives.”

Referee Omar Artan, center, who was denied entry to the United States, is welcomed by supporters upon his arrival in Mogadishu, Somalia, Wednesday, June 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh)

Japan head coach Hajime Moriyasu takes a picture with fans after a training session Monday, June 8, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn., ahead of the World Cup soccer tournament. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Fans for team Iran wave as players arrive for the World Cup soccer tournament in Tijuana, Mexico, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk speaks to the media, at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Palais Wilson, in Geneva, Switzerland, Wednesday, June 10, 2026. (Martial Trezzini/Keystone via AP)

NEW YORK (AP) — New data on retail sales will headline U.S. economic updates this week, but there will also be details from the most recent Federal Reserve meeting and a new read on consumer sentiment.

The latest economic data showed that inflation remains hot. High prices on everything from groceries to clothing and gas have squeezed millions of Americans and cast a shadow over the broader economy. Democrats swept Congress in midterm elections and for many voters, the cost of living was the top issue.

Here’s a look at some of the key reports coming in the week ahead.

Retail activity may have slowed last month. Economists expect a 0.2% overall increase, easing back from 0.8% in September and 1.3% in August. At the same time that overall retail sales are slowing, spending at gas stations has surged amid persistently higher fuel costs because of the U.S. war with Iran. The war disrupted shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, slashing global oil supplies and raising prices. That has made gasoline more expensive and indirectly raised costs for anything that is shipped.

Shoppers have been pulling back on spending just as retailers head into the vital holiday shopping season. The squeeze from stubbornly high inflation is expected to persist as long as the war stifles global oil supplies and tariffs from the U.S. trade war with much of the world keep putting pressure on prices.

Details from the Federal Reserve's latest policy meeting will be released Wednesday. The minutes from that meeting could shed more light on the central bank's decision-making process as it tries to cool inflation. It held rates steady at its October meeting following the first rate hike in three years at its September meeting. Raising the benchmark interest rate can help slow economic growth and cool inflation by making borrowing more expensive.

Higher interest rates, though, could also stunt job growth, which has been strong but is showing some signs of weakening. Supporting the labor market is also part of the Fed's mandate along with taming inflation and taking action to support one can often be detrimental to the other. Inflation has remained stubbornly above 3%, which puts it well above the central bank's 2% target rate. The Fed is expected to raise rates again at its December meeting and anxiety over stubborn inflation likely means more rate hikes to follow in 2027.

The latest weekly update on unemployment claims, which are a proxy for layoffs, will be released Thursday. Economists watch them closely because they can provide signs of where the job market is headed. Claims have remained at historically low levels amid a broader jobs market that has remained a strong point in an economy pressured by rising inflation. The resilient jobs market has made it easier for the Fed to focus on raising interest rates to cool inflation.

The last broad employment update for October showed that U.S. employers created a surprising 165,000 new jobs and the unemployment rate dipped to 4.1%. The reports have shown that the job market remains solid, but unspectacular. Employers have added an average of 86,000 jobs a month throughout the year, which is modest by historic standards.

The University of Michigan on Friday will release an update to its November consumer sentiment survey. It is expected to remain unchanged from its initial reading, which continued to show that consumers remain pessimistic as they deal with pressure from inflation on household budgets.

Other reports on consumer confidence revealed similar concerns about inflation. The Conference Board's consumer confidence index for October showed some improvement in confidence levels, but they still remain on an overall downward trend. Responses to that survey continued to echo worries about the high costs of gas, goods and services.

People watch as the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree arrives into Rockefeller Plaza, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)

The per-gallon price for the three grades of fuel is displayed electronically on a pump at a Buc-ee's gasoline station Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, in Johnstown, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)