Vancouver council motion to oppose ICE at World Cup is ruled out of order

A security official stands nearby as the FIFA World Cup winner's trophy is displayed in a transparent box under a tent, during an event for fans to view it at the Italian Cultural Centre, in Vancouver, on Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

A motion before a Vancouver city council committee to oppose deployment of American Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in the city for the World Cup did not go to a vote after it was ruled out of order.

It said that allowing allegedly undertrained ICE agents to conduct security operations in Vancouver this summer would contradict city policies around equity, safety and access without fear, as well as Canadian rights for migrants and due process.

The meeting chair Coun. Mike Klassen ruled on Wednesday that the motion was incorrect because it supposes a deployment when it “has been made clear from correspondence” that council received that ICE won’t be present for the games in Vancouver.

Coun. Pete Fry, one of two council members who proposed the motion, argued that it was pre-emptive, pointing out that American officials only announced plans to have ICE at this year’s Olympic Games weeks before the opening ceremony.

The motion by Fry and Coun. Sean Orr said that ICE has an “administrative and liaison presence” at the U.S. Consulate in Vancouver, but that U.S. law-enforcement agencies cannot operate in Canada without explicit government authorization.

“If ICE agents were deployed to Vancouver, it could reasonably be expected to cause protests, boycotts, potentially pose a danger to the safety of residents and visitors alike, and disrupt the experience and success of the FIFA World Cup, a significant capital and operational investment by the City and Province,” the motion said.

ICE posted online on Jan. 27 that it was going to the Olympics to support the U.S. Department of State “to vet and mitigate risks from transnational criminal organizations” but that “all security operations remain under Italian authority.”

It said ICE does not conduct immigration enforcement operations in foreign countries.

Still, the news came amid increasing pushback against expanding federal immigration enforcement operations after civilians were shot and killed by ICE officers.

Milan Mayor Beppe Sala told reporters at the time that ICE was not welcome.

In Vancouver, an attempt to overturn Klassen’s ruling and put the motion to a vote fell one member short of the required two-thirds.

Coun. Lucy Maloney said she supported overturning Klassen’s decision so that residents who wanted to speak on the issue had that opportunity.

“I think there’s a lot of fear that a last-minute decision might be made and I think it’s worth giving the many residents of Vancouver who would like to express their strong opposition to any involvement of ICE in FIFA their opportunity to have their say today,” she said during the meeting Wednesday.

Mayor Ken Sim said that he agreed the motion was out of order.

Sim issued a statement on Monday saying ICE has not been invited to operate in Vancouver for the World Cup, and are not welcome to conduct enforcement activities.

“Under Canadian law, foreign law enforcement officers may not exercise policing or immigration enforcement powers in Canada without explicit authorization from the Government of Canada. No such authorization exists for ICE to conduct immigration or policing operations in Vancouver,” he said.

If the motion had passed, it would have directed Sim to write to federal Minister of Public Safety Gary Anandasangaree and Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand, requesting that they reject any additional deployment.

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This report by Ashley Joannou, The Canadian Press, was first published Feb. 25, 2026