Trump administration claim Somali World Cup referee denied U.S. entry had suspected ‘terror’ ties

he Trump administration has claimed referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan was denied admission to the U.S. due to “association with suspected members of terror organisations.”

The referee was one of 52 match officials chosen by FIFA for the World Cup. He reported to Miami last weekend to join a training camp with his peers in Florida ahead of the tournament.

Artan told the New York Times on Tuesday that he “had the right papers” and “the right visa” before traveling to the United States and he also had accreditation as a match official by FIFA.

The issue, therefore, appears to have emerged upon attempting to enter at the border. He said that border officials interviewed him at Miami International Airport during a process of over 11 hours, before being detained in a holding cell and then sent back to Istanbul, Turkey, where he began his journey.

After The Athletic contacted the White House for comment on the matter, a senior administration official said: “Upon further inspection by CBP, derogatory information, including association with suspected members of terror organizations, was discovered making the traveler ineligible for admission to the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).

“The traveler was refused admission and given immigration forms that provide the section of law used to complete an expedited removal under 8235 of the INA. President Trump’s administration will not allow any security threat to enter our country — full stop.”