Trump says US wants right people entering the country as visa controversies dog World Cup
WASHINGTON — President Trump said Wednesday that US officials are working to ensure the “right people” come into the country for the World Cup after fans, team officials and even a match referee were denied entry.“We’re working on it very closely to make sure the right people come into our country,” the president told reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday. The world’s biggest sporting event kicks off Thursday with two games in co-host nation Mexico.The first game hosted by the US will take place Friday night, when the home nation takes on Paraguay in Los Angeles.The Trump administration has expressed concern “bad actors” may enter the US in the guise of team personnel or media members.The Iranian team, in particular, has been a cause of concern due to the ongoing war with the US, which began Feb.
28.The team moved its base to Mexico from Arizona, but will play its games in Los Angeles and Seattle.“The problem with Iran would be not their athletes.
It would be some of the other people they would want to bring with them, some of whom have ties to the [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps].We may not be able to let them in, but not the athletes themselves,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio explained in April.“They can’t bring a bunch of IRGC terrorists into our country and pretend that they are journalists and athletic trainers.”Visa applications by more than a dozen members of the Iranian traveling party were rejected by US officials.
FIFA also revoked the Iranian soccer federation’s ticket allocation for the Islamic Republic’s first match of the tournament, due to take place against New Zealand Monday.Iranians are subject to travel and visa issuance bans that would prevent the vast majority of their citizens from entering America.The case of Somali official Omar Artan has also prompted worldwide outrage.Artan, who was to be the first referee from the East African nation to take charge of a World Cup match, was denied entry into the...