German soccer powerhouse Werder Bremen is pulling the plug on its summer trip to Minnesota, citing violence and chaos stemming from the Trump administration's aggressive immigration crackdown.
“Playing in a city where there’s unrest and people have been shot, that does not fit with our values here at Werder Bremen,” Christoph Pieper, the club’s head of communications, told Politico in a Friday statement. “Furthermore, it was unclear for us which players could be able to enter the United States due to the stricter entry requirements.”
The cancellation comes amid President Donald Trump's Operation Metro Surge, which deployed roughly 3,000 federal immigration agents to Minneapolis beginning in December. The enforcement push turned deadly, with agents killing two protesters in separate incidents last month.
Though White House border czar Tom Homan announced the surge's end last week, Minneapolis city leaders reported a more than $200 million financial impact.
The four-time German champions have cultivated a progressive image, famously abandoning X for Bluesky in 2024 over "hate speech, hatred towards minorities, right-wing extremist posts and conspiracy theories."
"We as a club, we have clear values," Pieper emphasized Friday. "Our club stands for an open, pluralistic and united society. We are committed to ensuring that all people — regardless of their origin, skin colour, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or disability — are naturally included and have a firm place in our community."
The snub comes after FIFA President Gianni Infantino presented Trump a Peace Prize and pledged support for his Board of Peace initiative.