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German soccer team Werder Bremen canceled its planned trip to Minnesota, citing unrest caused by recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions there, reports said.
The Bundesliga club was expected to visit Minnesota and Michigan in May to play exhibition matches, according to the BBC.
“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. “Furthermore, it was unclear for us which players could be able to enter the United States due to the stricter entry requirements.”
“We as a club, we have clear values,” Pieper reportedly added Friday. “Our club stands for an open, pluralistic and united society. We are committed to ensuring that all people — regardless of their origin, skin color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or disability — are naturally included and have a firm place in our community.”
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A spokesperson for the club also told Reuters, “It is correct that we cancelled a planned trip to Minnesota in the United States,” and, “There were sporting, economic and political reasons for this.”
President Donald Trump’s border czar Tom Homan announced last week that the administration is winding down Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis.
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The city has seen frequent anti-ICE demonstrations surrounding the shootings of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent and Alex Pretti by U.S. Border Patrol.
Werder Bremen, meanwhile, has been trying to stave off relegation from the Bundesliga, the top tier of German soccer.
As of Saturday, the club is in 16th place, one point behind Wolfsburg — and guaranteed safety.
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