Homeland Security task force urges stronger federal role, authorities for 2026 World Cup and 2028 LA Olympics security

A House Homeland Security Committee task force pressed federal agencies and Congress on expanded authorities, funding and coordination to secure the FIFA World Cup 2026 and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games during a public roundtable in Washington.

The task force’s briefers — GB Jones, Chief Safety and Security Officer for FIFA World Cup 2026, and Bobette Morgan, senior vice president for safety and security for LA28 — told members these events will require expanded counter‑drone capabilities, enhanced international law enforcement coordination and sustained federal funding and training. “We are responsible for securing official FIFA sites,” Jones said, adding that “the scale and complexity of this tournament demand more than business as usual.” Morgan described the Los Angeles Games as “the biggest in Olympic history” and noted they were designated a national special security event in January 2024.

Why it matters: Both events will draw millions of visitors and operate across many jurisdictions, placing novel operational and legal demands on federal, state and local partners. Lawmakers and the briefers framed the matters as national security and public safety priorities that require new or clarified legal authorities, interagency mechanisms and predictable funding.

Top requests and concerns

- Counter‑UAS authority: Both briefers urged an expansion of counter‑unmanned aircraft system (UAS) authorities and cited a need to enable qualified state and local law enforcement to mitigate malicious drones under federal oversight. Jones asked Congress to “extend the counter UAS authority to qualified state and local law enforcement agencies under federal oversight,” saying drone threats could affect matches, fan fests, training sites and other outdoor gatherings.

- International Police Cooperation Center (IPCC): Jones called for federal support to establish and fund a physical IPCC to serve as a central hub for international law enforcement coordination and real‑time information sharing during the tournament footprint across the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

- Information sharing and vetting: Jones asked for “robust collaboration to ensure comprehensive name checks for all accredited individuals, including internal FBI name checks and National Crime Information Center or NCIC queries,” to mitigate insider threats.

- Cybersecurity and training: Morgan warned that the Paris 2024 Games experienced a large surge in cyber events and urged continuation and expansion of federal public safety technical training programs so local responders can manage incident response and crisis leadership. Jones also asked Congress to maintain or expand baseline public safety training.

- Funding: Morgan thanked Congress for “the $1,000,000,000 that was included in the reconciliation bill to assist state and local law enforcement agencies” preparing for LA28. Jones noted that host cities had requested $625,000,000 to support safety and security efforts for the World Cup.

Other operational challenges

Morgan highlighted logistics challenges tied to transportation for what she described as an estimated 15,000,000 spectators and the multi‑venue nature of the Games (49 venues and events across multiple cities, including Oklahoma City). She said LA28 will manage a torch relay visiting all 50 states, increasing the scope of security planning. Jones emphasized the tri‑nation footprint of the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico, and said FIFA and host cities must coordinate with federal partners.

Oversight, transparency and testimony

Ranking Member Rep. Poe said the task force had asked FIFA and LA28 to designate senior executives to testify publicly and that both organizations had expressed reluctance to testify under oath or to answer public questions. Poe said the task force sought transparency about who would cover security costs and how responsibilities would be divided. In her opening remarks she said, in part, that she was “somewhat dismayed that FIFA responded that it would not...appear before Congress on the condition that they did not testify under oath or publicly answer questions.”

No formal decisions or votes were taken during the publicly held portion of the roundtable. Task force members then cleared the room to continue with a closed‑door question‑and‑answer session on sensitive operational details.

Speakers and roles cited in the public session

- Chairman McCall — Task Force Chair, House Homeland Security Committee (introduced the hearing and framed task force goals). - Rep. Poe — Ranking Member, Task Force (expressed oversight and transparency concerns about private partners’ public testimony). - Acting Chairman Jimenez — Acting chair during portions of the session. - Chairman Garberino — Chairman of the full committee (gave brief remarks thanking participants). - GB Jones — Chief Safety and Security Officer, FIFA World Cup 2026 (briefed on FIFA priorities including IPCC, vetting and counter‑UAS authority). - Bobette Morgan — Senior Vice President for Safety and Security, LA28 (briefed on LA28 operational scope, NSSE designation, cyber and transport concerns).

What the transcript shows only

The public transcript includes requests to Congress and federal agencies for expanded authorities (not formal legislative action by the task force), funding acknowledgements by briefers, and an indication that the rest of the briefing moved to a closed session for sensitive operational discussion. The session did not record formal votes, motions, or binding directives in the public portion.

Ending

Task force members said they intend to continue oversight and close coordination with federal, state and local partners and private organizers. The public session closed before members and briefers could address classified or sensitive operational details in a closed session.