Somali referee Omar Artan has been denied entry into the United States after getting selected to officiate in .
U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed Monday that a Somali national who was planning to referee in the World Cup had been denied entry after arriving to Miami International Airport from Istanbul on Saturday. While the CBP statement didn鈥檛 mention the person by name, Artan is the only World Cup referee from Somalia.
鈥淒uring processing, the traveler underwent additional inspection, a routine part of CBP鈥檚 inspection process when officers need to verify information or determine admissibility,鈥� CBP said in its statement. 鈥淔ollowing inspection, the traveler, a referee for the FIFA World Cup, was determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns and was denied entry.鈥�
CBP noted that all travelers seeking entry into the U.S. 鈥� including athletes, coaches and staff 鈥� are subject to CBP inspection and vetting.
鈥淎dmissibility determinations are made on a case-by-case basis using law enforcement, national security, and immigration information available at the time of inspection,鈥� the CBP statement said. 鈥淐BP officers have the authority to question travelers, conduct inspections, and determine admissibility consistent with U.S. law.鈥�
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