00:00The Trump administration says it has denied entry to Somali soccer referee Omar Abdul Qadir Artan for the upcoming World
00:09Cup, citing alleged links to suspected members of terror organizations.
00:14Artan, who was named Africa's Referee of the Year in 2025, was said to become the first Somali official at
00:21a World Cup before being turned back by U.S. Customs and Border Protection over the weekend.
00:28Without identifying Artan, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, CBP, said in a statement that a Somali national arrived
00:35at Miami International Airport from Istanbul on Saturday and was deemed inadmissible due to vetting concerns.
00:42An administration official later said customs officials had determined Artan a threat to national security after identifying derogatory information, including
00:52alleged associations with suspected members of terror groups.
00:55The claims have not been independently verified.
00:59The administration's strict immigration policies have been a point of concern ahead of the World Cup, with Washington imposing a
01:05sweeping travel ban last year on citizens of 12 countries, including Somalia.
01:10Somalia's government said it had sought to intervene with both Washington and FIFA and expressed disappointment at the decision.
01:17A FIFA spokesperson said Artan would not now be able to officiate or train at the tournament, which will be
01:24held across the U.S., Mexico and Canada.
Comments