Somali referee Omar Artan was denied entry into the United States after getting selected to officiate at the World Cup.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed Monday that a Somali national who was planning to referee in the World Cup had been denied entry after arriving to Miami International Airport from Istanbul on Saturday. The CBP statement didn’t mention the person by name, but FIFA later confirmed it was Artan, who was the only World Cup referee from Somalia.
“During processing, the traveler underwent additional inspection, a routine part of CBP’s inspection process when officers need to verify information or determine admissibility,” CBP said in its statement. “Following inspection, the traveler, a referee for the FIFA World Cup, was determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns and was denied entry.”
CBP noted that all travelers seeking entry into the U.S. — including athletes, coaches and staff — are subject to CBP inspection and vetting.
“Admissibility determinations are made on a case-by-case basis using law enforcement, national security, and immigration information available at the time of inspection,” the CBP statement said. “CBP officers have the authority to question travelers, conduct inspections, and determine admissibility consistent with U.S. law.”
Somalia is on the U.S. list of banned countries for immigration, although exceptions can be made.
“Despite the circumstances, I am in a positive mood and I am focused on the next challenges in my refereeing career,” Artan said in the statement on Monday. “I would like to thank FIFA and [the African federation] for all their support and I promise to keep my refereeing levels up as I concentrate on the future. I want to thank the football family for their messages and wish my colleagues all the best success during the World Cup and I look forward to joining them again in future competitions.”
FIFA said in an earlier statement: “FIFA is not involved in host country immigration processes, including visa adjudications, and has been informed by authorities that Mr Artan’s status will not be changed at present.
“In line with previous FIFA events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country.”
The World Cup presents a challenge for president Donald Trump’s administration, which has placed aggressive immigration enforcement at the top of its agenda.
The most visible aspects of Trump’s anti-immigration measures, including high-profile arrests in cities like Chicago and Minneapolis, have largely calmed. And the administration has sought to strike a welcoming stance toward World Cup visitors, suspending, for example, a requirement that those traveling from countries that qualified for the tournament and have bought tickets pay as much as $15,000 in bonds to enter the U.S.
But the White House is still considering hard-line options to punish perceived opponents. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has threatened to halt customs processing at airports serving cities whose local governments resist Trump’s immigration policies. And intense clashes at a New Jersey immigration center about 10 miles (16 kilometers) from where the World Cup final will be held are a reminder of the tests facing the White House.
Speaking to ESPN on Friday, Andrew Giuliani, the executive director for the White House Task Force on the World Cup, said that “if you’re inside the country legally, then you have nothing to worry about.”
“We want people to be able to come here and enjoy this World Cup while also making sure that we can keep the country safe,” he said.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
