Every nation has the right to decide who can and cannot gain entry, be it temporary or permanent. Some nations even have laws defining who may or may not enter. And now, at least since January of 2025, the United States has started enforcing its laws.
Case in point: A Somali soccer official with suspected terrorist ties was denied entry into the United States for the World Cup.
BREAKING: The Somali FIFA World Cup referee who was denied entry into the U.S. by CBP was flagged with “derogatory” information, including “association with suspected members of terror organizations”, making him inadmissible for entry into the U.S., a Trump admin official tells…
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) June 10, 2026
Bill Melugin's post states:
BREAKING: The Somali FIFA World Cup referee who was denied entry into the U.S. by CBP was flagged with “derogatory” information, including “association with suspected members of terror organizations”, making him inadmissible for entry into the U.S., a Trump admin official tells @FoxNews.
Statement to FOX: "This individual was seeking admission to the United States. 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.”
Enforcing our immigration and entry laws. Imagine that.
Read More: Iran Wanted Its Officials at the World Cup. Trump Said No.
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The referee in question, one Omar Artan, returned home to Somalia to receive a hero's welcome, because of course he was.
A World Cup referee from Somalia who was denied entry to the United States was received by a crowd of supporters and officials Wednesday as he arrived in Somalia’s capital of Mogadishu, where he said he plans to be at the next World Cup and urged Somali youths to be proud of their country.
Omar Artan was set to be the first referee from Somalia to officiate at a World Cup after making FIFA’s final list for the tournament. He is one of Africa’s top referees and was named the continent’s best male referee in 2025.
He was denied entry at Miami International Airport on Saturday over “vetting concerns,” U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement without giving details of those concerns. FIFA subsequently cut him from the tournament’s referee list.
Here's the thing: Omar Artan's qualifications and experience as a soccer referee aren't the issue. It's irrelevant to the case; it wouldn't matter if he was a soccer referee, a plumber, or a professional gurner. He is suspected of ties to known terrorist groups, and that's that. He was rightly denied entry.
Nobody has any right to enter the United States, for a soccer tournament or for any other reason. It is, or should be, a privilege one is granted if the immigration authorities determine that the applicant, at a minimum, presents no danger to the people of the United States.
If Omar Artan has ties to terrorist groups, or if he has expressed sympathy for terrorist groups, then he was rightly denied. End of discussion.
Editor’s Note: We voted for mass deportations, not mass amnesty. Help us continue to fight back against those trying to go against the will of the American people.
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