Dallas — The Trump administration’s top official for the World Cup told CBS News a Somali referee who was denied entry into the U.S. and blocked from officiating at the tournament was talking to “some very bad people,” saying the controversial move was justified.
Andrew Giuliani, the executive director of the White House’s World Cup task force and the son of former Trump attorney and New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, said he stood by the U.S. government’s decision to reject and deport Omar Artan, one of only 52 referees selected by FIFA to officiate this year’s World Cup hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada.
“In the case of the referee there, he was talking to some very bad people right as he was coming to the United States,” Giuliani said in an interview Sunday. “There’s some classified information we can’t discuss now. At some point, that may be released.”
Pressed for more details on the extent and nature of the alleged communication, Giuliani said he could not discuss who Omar was allegedly contacting. He said the alleged communication occurred “immediately before (Artan) was coming to the United States.”
An administration official last week said Customs and Border Protection officials identified “derogatory information” when they vetted Artan at Miami International Airport. The official said that information included “association with suspected members of terror organizations.” The administration has yet to release evidence to support that finding.
Artan said he had completed all the required paperwork to obtain a visa to enter the U.S.
Just days after he was denied entry to the U.S., UEFA, the governing body of soccer in Europe, selected Artan to officiate the European Super Cup final between France’s PSG and England’s Aston Villa. FIFA previously said it undertook a 3-year campaign to vet and select Artan and the other World Cup referees.
Abuukar Mohamed Muhidin/Anadolu via Getty Images 
A “few” players referred for secondary inspection
Asked about reports of some World Cup players, including from Iraq’s team, being questioned and temporarily held by U.S. immigration officials, Giuliani confirmed “a few” players have been referred for secondary inspection at American airports.
“There are some people who have charges against them … the players in particular, if it wasn’t for the World Cup, they may not necessarily be allowed to enter into the United States,” Giuliani said.
Giuliani said that, so far, all players have been able to enter the U.S., even if they’ve been questioned for “a couple of hours.” He said he “feels confident” all players will be able to enter the country to compete, citing reports he’s reviewed.
“The president has wanted to make sure that this World Cup is, that the competitive balance is there for this World Cup. So we’ve done everything we can to make sure players can get in,” he added.
Giuliani did confirm some Iranian team officials have not been allowed to enter the U.S. Those entry denials, which came amid months of military conflict between the two countries, forced the Iranian national team to move its training camp to Mexico instead of Arizona, where they were originally scheduled to stay.
Asked why some Iranian team officials were denied entry, Giuliani suggested they have connections to the regime in Tehran, citing comments from Secretary of State Marco Rubio that anyone with “direct ties” to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps would not be permitted into the U.S.
Giuliani stressed that all of Iran’s players and coaches had been approved to come into the U.S., though under strict conditions.
“The team will be allowed to come in match day minus one, so the day before the match. They’ll be asked to leave the day the match wraps up, so the evening of the match,” he said. “And they’ll be able to do that again in Los Angeles, and they’ll be able to do it again in Seattle. And that if they qualify for the next round, for the round of 32, they’ll be able to do that again.”
Other immigration concerns
Giuliani confirmed Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents will be helping with security at World Cup events, defending their presence amid concerns from some fans. He noted agents from ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations branch often participate in efforts to secure events, and highlighted their role in curtailing human trafficking.
“If you were to take ICE HSI, let’s say, out of the equation, you’d be doing a couple of things,” he said. “First and foremost, you’d be taking subject matter experts that understand how to secure major events, and then you’d be removing them from the equation.”
Asked if he has gotten assurances that ICE agents assigned to World Cup security will not engage in immigration enforcement, Giuliani said, “What I can tell you is people who have come to the country here legally – we have created many legal pathways for this tournament to do that – have nothing to worry about.”
Pressed on whether people in the U.S. illegally should attend matches, Giuliani deferred to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.
Some fans have also reported issues getting visas to attend World Cup matches. The citizens of four qualifying countries — Haiti, Iran, Ivory Coast and Senegal — face categorical or partial restrictions on entering the U.S. under President Trump’s so-called “travel ban.”
Giuliani said there are waivers for Ivory Coast and Senegal fans to enter the country. But he defended the categorical bans faced by people from Haiti and Iran, citing a high visa overstay rate among Haitians and the dire political situation in their homeland.
“With conflict in Iran right now, we can’t risk national security in having their fans,” Giuliani said.
Asked about concerns that Mr. Trump’s immigration crackdown is casting a shadow over the World Cup, Giuliani downplayed them, saying people were seeking to weaponize the tournament.
He cited the over 6 million match tickets sold; 5 million entry approvals for 19 countries in the World Cup that also enjoy visa-free travel to the U.S.; and efforts to expedite the visa process at American consulates in Argentina and Brazil.
“There are people that ultimately want to take a global event that has incredible cache, that has billions of people watching it, and utilize it for their political narratives,” he said. “They just happen to be false.”
