Greetings from a news cycle that apparently refuses to slow down, where the focus has now shifted from the southern border to growing concerns about activity along America’s northern frontier.
According to comments made by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin during an appearance on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures, the Trump administration is closely monitoring what it describes as a troubling increase in Iranian nationals attempting to enter the United States through Canada while the country hosts the 2026 World Cup.
Mullin told host Maria Bartiromo that authorities have observed an “unusual amount” of Iranian nationals trying to cross the northern border. He contrasted that with the administration’s view that enforcement measures have significantly reduced illegal crossings at the southern border.
What appears to have elevated concern inside the administration is not merely the number of crossings but the alleged backgrounds of some of the individuals being detained. Mullin claimed that authorities have identified direct connections between certain apprehended individuals and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, commonly known as the IRGC.
That is the sort of statement guaranteed to get attention in Washington.
🚨 WOW! DHS Sec. Markwayne Mullin reveals Iran tried SNEAKING IN IRGC individuals to the World Cup
Not on the Trump admin’s watch!
“The World Cup, Iran has a team…the rest of the individuals Iran tried to bring in had DIRECT TIES to the IRGC. These games Iran plays… pic.twitter.com/yRFFW7XOxS
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) June 21, 2026
“We’ve seen arrests go up daily on Iranian nationals, and we have a good partnership with our Canadian partners that have been able to help apprehend them too,” Mullin said during the interview.
He emphasized that cooperation with Canadian authorities has been critical in identifying and stopping individuals before they successfully enter the United States. According to Mullin, the concern is not simply immigration enforcement but national security.
“It’s worrisome,” he said, pointing specifically to what he described as connections between some detainees and the Iranian regime.
The issue comes at a particularly sensitive time. The United States is hosting World Cup matches, bringing thousands of athletes, officials, media members, and international visitors into the country. Major international sporting events have historically prompted heightened security measures, and Mullin’s comments suggest federal agencies are treating the situation with considerable seriousness.
Bartiromo pressed the secretary on whether those being stopped were ordinary Iranian citizens seeking to leave their homeland or individuals with more direct ties to Tehran.
Mullin’s answer focused on Iran’s World Cup delegation. He claimed that U.S. authorities permitted a significantly smaller number of accompanying personnel than Iran initially sought to bring into the country. According to Mullin, officials determined that additional individuals proposed by Iran allegedly had connections to the IRGC and did not fit the profile of a standard travel delegation.
“The rest of the individuals that Iran had tried to bring in all also had direct ties to the IRGC and aren’t their normal traveling group,” he said.
He concluded with a blunt assessment of the Iranian government, arguing that such actions reinforce concerns about Tehran’s intentions and reliability.
