Dickens hopes ICE presence will be "nonexistent" during World Cup
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Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens speaks onstage during the 2026 Martin Luther King, Jr. Beloved Community Commemorative Service at Ebenezer Baptist Church on Jan. 19. Photo: Courtesy of Paras Griffin/Getty Images
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said the city will do what it can to inform residents and business owners who are bracing for when, or if, ICE agents will be in town for the FIFA World Cup.
Why it matters: Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to attend the eight games Atlanta will host, but fears are mounting that the presence of ICE agents could deter fans and visitors from venturing into Downtown — and hamper what boosters hope will be an economic win for the city.
The latest: Dickens said the uncertainty over the federal government's actions on immigration enforcement are "unsettling for citizens and small businesses and even us as government officials."
- "I can't predict what a federal government will attempt to do at 11 sites of World Cup matches across the United States," Dickens said. "We hope that their presence will be small, unnoticeable, negligible, invisible and maybe nonexistent."
- Dickens added that if ICE agents are in Atlanta during the games, the city will work to get as much information as possible from the federal government in advance so it can inform businesses and citizens of what they can expect and "how to maintain your own dignity and rights."
Context: Dickens' comments came weeks after the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis by ICE agents, which led to widespread outrage and condemnation.
Driving the news: Dickens made his comments Tuesday during a news conference in which the city highlighted grants, loans and programs available to help small businesses and young entrepreneurs prepare for the World Cup.
Zoom in: The Showcase Atlanta marketing grant program will be available to small businesses in Downtown, Castleberry Hill and neighborhoods immediately to the west.
- These businesses can apply for up to $5,000 "to increase visibility and customer engagement during large-scale events," Dickens said.
- Another program, the Atlanta Business Readiness Loan Fund, will help small businesses with hiring staff, building inventory, improving operations or upgrading equipment ahead of the World Cup, said Eloisa Klementich, president and CEO of Invest Atlanta, the city's economic development arm.
- Loan amounts will range from $5,000 to $15,000, and businesses won't have to start repaying the loans until August.
The fine print: The Youth Entrepreneurship Accelerator initiative will support people 21 and younger who are interested in starting a business.
- They will be guided through the legal steps of launching a business, and a select number of participants will have the chance to obtain a youth vendor license so they can sell their items during the games, Dickens said.
- The Downtown Pop-Up Opportunity Fund provides $5,000 to $50,000 to landlords and businesses in Downtown that want to improve current vacant storefronts, said A.J. Robinson, president of Central Atlanta Progress, a nonprofit that provides programs designed to improve economic development in the area.