White House officials defended barring Somali referee Omar Artan from entering the U.S. despite a valid visa, citing security concerns and alleged contacts with "very, very bad people." FIFA president Gianni Infantino called the move "unfortunate" and said Artan will be paid. U.S. authorities said details cannot be released for security reasons, while task force officials stressed that most players and coaches received visas and that on-field competition has not been affected.
White House Defends Denying Somali Referee Entry to U.S. Despite Valid Visa
A Referee holds a ball during the FIFA World Cup 2018 Group G soccer match between Belgium and Panama at the Fisht Stadium. The US has refused entry to Omar Artan, a referee from Somalia chosen by FIFA to officiate at the World Cup. The reason given was concerns arising from security checks upon his arrival in the US. Marius Becker/dpa
The White House World Cup task force defended its decision to block Somali referee Omar Artan from entering the United States, saying security concerns justified the action even though Artan held a valid visa.
"The one referee you're referring to, there's some stuff we can't talk about but at least stuff that's come out was that he was talking to some very, very bad people right before he was coming to the United States of America," Andrew Giuliani told USA Today.
"I'll leave it at that, but what I can tell you is we're not going to let the guys of a soccer tournament allow bad actors to come to the United States. It's our mandate to make sure that people have an unbelievable experience. That means making sure we can account for the people that are coming into the United States,"he added.
U.S. officials said Artan was denied entry because of security concerns tied to alleged links with a terrorist organization in Somalia. The administration declined to disclose further details, citing sensitive information and ongoing security considerations.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino called the decision "unfortunate" and confirmed that Artan will be compensated for the assignments he would have officiated at the tournament.
Visa and travel restrictions have been a recurring issue around the event. For example, players and staff from Iran received visas only after months of uncertainty, highlighting the diplomatic and security complexities involved in hosting an international tournament on U.S. soil.
Giuliani defended the overall approach to vetting visitors for the competition, saying most players and coaches received their visas and that on-field play has not been affected.
Note: Officials emphasized that some information cannot be made public for security reasons.
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