June 9 (Reuters) - The Trump administration said on Tuesday the United States had denied Somali soccer referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan entry for the World Cup because of his links to "suspected members of terror organizations".
The administration's strict immigration policies have been a point of concern ahead of the World Cup, with Washington imposing a sweeping travel ban last year on citizens of 12 countries, including Somalia.
Artan, Africa's referee of the year in 2025, had been set to become the first
Somali to officiate at soccer's global showpiece but was turned back by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) over the weekend.
A FIFA spokesperson said Artan would not now be able to train or officiate at the tournament, which kicks off this week in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Somalia's government said it had unsuccessfully tried to negotiate with the U.S. and FIFA so that Artan could enter the country and was saddened by what had happened.
"His international achievements are a source of honour and pride for the Somali people," the sports ministry said in a statement.
Without identifying Artan, the CBP said in a statement that a Somali national arrived at Miami International Airport from Istanbul on Saturday and was deemed inadmissible due to vetting concerns.
An administration official later said CBP officials had determined that Artan was a threat to national security.
"Upon further inspection by CBP, derogatory information, including association with suspected members of terror organizations, was discovered," the official said in comments shared with reporters on condition of anonymity.
That made the traveler ineligible for admission to the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), the official added.
"President Trump's administration will not allow any security threat to enter our country, full stop."
The Somali Football Federation (SFF) expressed sadness over the incident, calling Artan's appointment a milestone for the country that resulted from years of dedication, professionalism and integrity.
The SFF said it had not received an official explanation why Artan was denied entry, adding that it was working closely with FIFA and relevant authorities to understand the circumstances.
Artan had a valid visa, media said.
FIFA SAYS NOT INVOLVED IN IMMIGRATION POLICIES
A senior Somali official told Reuters that diplomatic efforts were continuing to try to get Artan into the U.S. for the tournament, but declined to provide further details.
A FIFA spokesperson said the organisation "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".
Speaking to Reuters at Istanbul airport on Tuesday before boarding a flight to Somalia, Artan said he was in good spirits.
"I feel very good now," he said. "And I wanted to thank FIFA for supporting me all the way and the Somali people also. So I am very grateful for FIFA and CAF (Confederation of African Football) also."
It was not clear which game or games Artan would have refereed, although such information is typically only announced two to three days in advance.
US POLICIES RAISE CONCERNS AHEAD OF WORLD CUP
CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott said on Tuesday travellers are regularly denied entry to the United States because they are not eligible for entry or pose a threat.
"I don't really care what you do for a living. The law is still the law," Scott told a Washington event hosted by the Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates less immigration.
"If you don't meet the qualifications to come into the country, we're not letting you in just because we want you to referee a game."
(Reporting by Kristina Cooke, Frank Pingue, Ismail Shakil Rory Carroll and Simon Lewis; Additional reporting by Faisal Ali in Mogadishu and Tommy Lund in Gdansk and Ted Hesson in Washington DC; Editing by Peter Rutherford, David Holmes and Clarence Fernandez)
