“Viva ICE!” Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie Backs Donald Trump’s Immigration Crackdown

In a provocative and politically charged statement, South Africa’s Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, has thrown his unequivocal support behind US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the controversial agency carrying out former President Donald Trump’s stringent immigration policies. McKenzie’s endorsement comes amid growing safety concerns for South Africans traveling to the United States for the upcoming FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the USA, Mexico, and Canada.

ICE has been under intense international scrutiny, with at least four detainee deaths reported in 2026 alone, including the high-profile case of protester Renee Nicole Good in Minnesota. The debate hit closer to home recently when a South African national was arrested by ICE for being in the country illegally.

“I Totally Agree With ICE”

Unfazed by the criticism, McKenzie dismissed calls for a World Cup boycott as “cow disease” and staunchly defended the US approach. “I totally agree with ICE. We must do the same here with what they’re doing there. I cannot criticise something that I want in my own country,” he told SportsBoom.co.za.

He argued that travelers with proper visas have nothing to fear. “If you go through the proper processes of attaining a visa, you will be fine. I won’t be politically correct viva ICE! I agree with Donald Trump.”

A Bold Prediction Amid Political Firestorm

McKenzie then shifted from geopolitics to football fantasy, making an audacious prediction that Bafana Bafana would win the World Cupa feat that would require a monumental upset, as the team has never advanced past the group stage. “You may look at stats and all that, but that’s not how football works. I go with my heart we will win,” he asserted, ignoring all historical precedent.

The minister’s comments are likely to ignite fierce backlash from human rights groups and political opponents at home, where Trump’s immigration policies and ICE’s tactics are widely condemned as inhumane. By aligning himself so publicly with a polarizing foreign leader and agency, McKenzie has again positioned himself at the center of a storm, blending sports diplomacy with hardline populist rhetoric in a way that is sure to dominate headlines far beyond the football pitch.

{Source: IOL}

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