A panel of the Florida Legislature agreed Friday to distribute more than $105 million in federal dollars to shield FIFA World Cup matches in Miami from unmanned drones and other attacks.<\/p>\n
The money, which comes from various federal programs, will go to the Florida Division of Emergency Management<\/a> (FDEM) and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) to secure the seven summer matches scheduled for Miami Gardens\u2019 Hard Rock Stadium<\/a>.<\/p>\n FDEM received $73.6 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and an additional $15.5 million from the federal Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems Grant Program<\/a> for the project.<\/p>\n The Budget Breakdown<\/p>\n Where the $105M is actually going.<\/p>\n FDEM (FEMA Grant) – $73.6 Million \/ Local law enforcement overtime ($63M)<\/p>\n FDEM (C-UAS Grant) – $15.5 Million\/ Counter-drone tech & mitigationF<\/p>\n DLE (FEMA Grant) – $16.2 Million \/ Detection equipment & aerial threat defense<\/p>\n The lion\u2019s share, $63 million, will reimburse local law enforcement agencies for overtime costs.<\/p>\n All dollars will go to Miami-Dade County, which will decide the best ways to implement security measures and prevent illegal drones flying overhead.<\/p>\n FDLE, meanwhile, received more than $16.2 million from FEMA for similar purposes.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is for purchase of equipment to detect and mitigate the threat of drones \u2026 flying into areas that FDLE has been requested to try to protect,\u201d FDLE\u2019s general chief of staff, Tim Fitzgerald, told the joint Legislative Budget Commission during Friday\u2019s afternoon meeting. The panel is authorized to approve expenditures when the Legislature isn\u2019t in session.<\/p>\n The heightened security is partially because fans at the Copa America<\/a> final two years ago stormed the stadium\u2019s gates, resulting in 27 arrests, 55 ejections, and numerous injuries.<\/p>\n The federal funding comes two months ahead of the first World Cup game in Miami, which is scheduled for June 15. There\u2019ll be six more<\/a>, including a quarterfinal on July 11 as the city\u2019s final match. Mexico and Canada, along with 10 other U.S. cities, will host the tournament.<\/p>\n Key Match Dates: Hard Rock Stadium<\/p>\n Mark your calendars for the seven-game slate in Miami:<\/p>\n June 15: First Match (Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay)<\/p>\n June 21, 24, 27: Group Stage Matches<\/p>\n July 3: Round of 32<\/p>\n July 11: Quarterfinal Match<\/p>\n July 18: Bronze Final (3rd Place Match)<\/p>\n The World Cup, the United States\u2019 first since the women\u2019s competition in 2003, has been mired in immigration- and war-related controversy. The humanitarian group Amnesty International in March warned foreign fans of an alleged \u201chuman rights emergency\u201d in the United States due to its hardline anti-illegal immigration policies and loose leash on its ICE agents.<\/p>\n President Trump in June passed a travel ban on a host of foreign citizens, and in January expanded the decree to stop immigrant visa processing for 75 countries, the Council on Foreign Relations reported.<\/p>\n Haiti, Iran, the Ivory Coast, and Senegal are all scheduled to play in the United States. All fall under Trump\u2019s travel ban. These fans won\u2019t be able to attend the U.S. games.<\/p>\n