Somali World Cup ref barred from US for 'association with suspected members of terror organizations': official

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin joins ‘The Will Cain Show’ to discuss crowd security and potential threats for the 2026 World Cup at the AT&T Stadium in Texas.

A Somali World Cup referee, who was denied entry into the U.S. days before the tournament kicked off in North America by Customs and Border Protection (CBP), was flagged for "derogatory" information, including "association with suspected members of terror organizations," a Trump administration official told Fox News.

The flag made Omar Artan inadmissible for entry into the U.S.

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Referee Omar Artan arrives in Mogadishu, Somalia, after being denied entry to the United States on June 10, 2026. (Farah Abdi Warsameh/AP)

"This individual was seeking admission to the United States," a Trump administration official said in a statement. "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."

Artan was denied entry at Miami International Airport on Saturday over "vetting concerns," the CBP said in a statement. He was reportedly issued a visa to the U.S. last week, according to the Somalia Embassy in Kenya that processed it. He was set to meet with other referees for training at their base in Miami.

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