US to build ‘World Cup prison’ to house players

The upcoming soccer World Cup in the United States has sparked fresh debate over security and crowd management. The local administration has planned to build a temporary detention center or prison in Kansas City for the tournament, which has already been dubbed ‘World Cup jail.’

According to the plan, this modular prison will be built to handle the pressure of the potential large number of visitors during the World Cup and to relieve the limitations of the city’s detention and rehabilitation system. According to local tourism organization Visit KC, about 650,000 visitors will visit Kansas City during the tournament.

A total of six World Cup matches will be hosted at Arrowhead Stadium. Among them is a match against Argentina in the group stage. In addition, important matches such as the Round of 32 and the quarterfinals are also scheduled to be held here. According to the possible schedule, teams such as Argentina, England and the Netherlands will have base camps in Kansas City.

Local policymakers believe that additional detention facilities will be needed to handle minor crimes, disorder or law violations during this large-scale international event. So, a temporary 100-bed jail was proposed, which was planned to be used until a permanent jail could be built in the future.

The city's assistant city manager, Jeff Martin, said the goal was to open it before the World Cup, but the work has not progressed according to schedule. On the other hand, Councilman Wes Rogers said that during the World Cup, there is a possibility of overcrowding, drinking and minor disorder in the city - which is why a temporary detention center has become necessary.

However, the initiative has also been criticized. Anti-immigration activists and some local circles have expressed concerns that it could expand detention operations by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

City authorities claim that the detention center will be used primarily to handle minor crimes and municipal law violations, not serious crimes. According to supporters, such preparations are essential to maintain security and law and order in order to successfully organize a large event like the World Cup.