U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin warned Thursday that the threat level surrounding the 2026 FIFA World Cup is “extremely high.” Dallas-Fort Worth will host 9 World Cup matches, more than any other venue this year. In an interview with Fox Business, Secretary Mullin also sa id the recent 76-day shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security has compounded the challenges of securing World Cup events. “We feel like that threat level is extremely high, especially in soft areas outside of the stadiums,” Mullin said in the Fox Business interview. “That’s put us, because of the shutdown, it’s put us in quite a bind to build, to meet that need. Now we’re going to do it, but it definitely has hindered our ability to be as proactive as we would like,” Mullin added. The DHS shutdown earlier this year delayed the release of federal security funding to World Cup host cities. For months, security officials from host cities across the country have warned that those delays might hamper law enforcement training and planning ahead of the matches, which are scheduled to begin in June. Security preparations for the World Cup also come at a time of heightened concern about the potential for terror attacks in the wake of the War in Iran. In DFW, planned events connected to the World Cup extend far beyond ATT Stadium in Arlington, increasing the number of locations that law enforcement will work to secure. Dallas will host a FIFA fan festival at Fair Park, and the tournament’s international media center is located at the city’s convention center downtown. Frisco and Mansfield will also play host to team training sites, and fans from around the world are expected to gather in entertainment districts across the metroplex. The host committee’s plans also call for the use of special transit hubs to move many fans to and from the stadium by bus and train. Security officials involved in planning for other large sporting events like the Super Bowl say entertainment venues away from the stadium often present concerns about “softer target” attacks in locations where law enforcement will be present, but the level of protection may not match the measures in place at the stadium. Former Arlington Police Chief Theron Bowman, who helped oversee security for a Super Bowl and World Series, has told NBC 5 Investigates that the delay in federal funding for host cities risked slowing the pace of law enforcement training exercises and planning earlier this year. But Bowman said Dallas-Fort Worth hosts so many large events that law enforcement may not be impacted as much as other host cities. Here in the Dallas area, we’re a little bit better prepared with our systems and what we always do. And so we’re not as negatively impacted, although we are impacted”, Bowman said. Local and federal enforcement agencies involved in planning for the World Cup continue to stress that they are prepared to meet the challenges and ensure that all events are safe. ...read more read less