Senegalese basketball players' US visas rejected, prime minister says, amid Trump travel crackdown
Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko said this week that his country canceled a planned training program for the nation's women's basketball team in the U.S. after several team members' visas had been denied.
The cancellation comes after President Donald Trump earlier this month issued a travel ban for 12 countries — not including Senegal — citing national security risks. Earlier this week, Trump issued a warning to another 36 countries, mostly in Africa, saying they must increase vetting for travelers within 60 days, or be added to the existing list of banned countries.
Senegal was one of the three dozen countries on Trump's new warning list, though it was unclear if the country's designation played a role in the rejection of the team members' visas.
'Informed of the refusal to assign visas to several members of the national women's basketball team of Senegal, I've instructed the Ministry of Sports to revoke purely and simply the 10-day preparation training course initially planned in the United States of America,' Sonko wrote in a statement posted to social media this week, adding that the training would instead be held in the nation's capital of Dakar.
It was not immediately clear why the visas were denied. A State Department official declined to comment on the specifics of the situation, saying 'visa records are confidential under U.S. law; therefore, we cannot comment on individual cases.'
Friday's cancellation isn't the first time that Trump's policies have impacted the sporting world.
The 2026 World Cup, which the U.S. is set to host along with its North American neighbors, also faces challenges posed by the Trump administration's policies.
Human Rights Watch, an international human rights organization, last month urged FIFA President Gianni Infantino to be 'prepared to reconsider the hosting decision' in order to prioritize the safety of the millions of fans and players expected to travel to the U.S. for the sporting event.
The organization cited the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration, increased targeting of LGBTQ+ people and 'chilling limits' on free speech in its warning letter to the FIFA president.
The Trump administration has brushed off concerns as it ramps up preparations to host the major tournament. International teams are also currently competing in the United States for the 2025 Club World Cup.
'Tensions are a good thing,' Trump said at a FIFA task force meeting last month. 'It'll make it more exciting.'
Trump carved out sports-specific exceptions, among others, in his 12-country travel ban, exempting athletes and coaches traveling to the U.S. for the World Cup, Olympics or 'other major sporting event as determined by the Secretary of State.'
But the administration has also maintained that its strict immigration rules still apply, especially for the millions expected to arrive to watch the games.
'We want them to come, we want them to celebrate, we want them to watch the game,' Vice President JD Vance said during the task force meeting. 'But when the time is up, they'll have to go home. Otherwise, they'll have to talk to Secretary [Kristi] Noem.'
Ali Bianco contributed to this report.
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