Recommended
President Donald Trump will be the center of attention at the World Cup draw on Friday in Washington, welcoming teams and fans from around the world at a time when his administration has redoubled travel restrictions to the United States for people from 19 countries and has hardened its rhetoric against immigrants.
The Trump administration hopes that plans to streamline visa processing and the excitement for next summer's tournament matches, hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, will overcome concerns that Trump's immigration message undermines the theme of global unity that a World Cup is meant to represent.
In the last week, Trump has said he wants to permanently stop immigration from poor countries and has singled out Afghanistan and Somalia with particular disdain.
President Trump will be present this Thursday for the signing of a peace agreement between Rwanda and the Congo, an event that will include leaders from various countries. In addition, he is expected to be honored by FIFA for his peacemaking efforts during the World Cup draw.
Critics say the mixed messages matter.
“The World Cup is supposed to be a time when the world comes together, puts aside differences to celebrate sport, and while it symbolizes the union of the world, you have a president of the United States who is trying to keep the world out, to keep people out,” said Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
“Right there, at the most fundamental level, you have a president who represents everything that the World Cup does not represent,” Van Hollen said.
But Andrew Giuliani, the executive director of the White House FIFA task force, told foreign reporters on Wednesday that “there is a fictional narrative that the president doesn't welcome foreigners to come to the United States” and dismissed concerns about Trump's rhetoric.
“He’s a New Yorker like me. Sometimes we say things that are a little different from what polished politicians say,” Giuliani commented.
Niegan entrada a funcionarios iraníes
The Trump administration is readying an expansion of the travel ban it enacted in June. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said on Monday that she plans to recommend a “total travel ban on all the damn countries that have been flooding our nation with murderers, leeches, and benefit addicts.”
The restrictions affect two countries that have qualified for the World Cup: Iran and Haiti. The ban prevents citizens from 12 countries from entering the United States, and there are stricter restrictions for visitors from seven others.
The ban includes exceptions for players, coaches, “individuals playing a necessary support role,” and their immediate family members. But fans from those countries, who are a significant source of tourism revenue for any World Cup event, will not be able to enter.
Iran has said it will boycott the draw at the Kennedy Center after visas were denied to key members of its delegation. But its football federation reported that coach Amir Ghalenoei will be there with one or two assistants to ensure Iran's seat is not left empty.
The federation's spokesman, Amir-Mahdi Alavi, told YJC.ir, a news agency affiliated with Iranian state television, on Wednesday that Ghalenoei's attendance was purely technical and did not amount to retracting the federation's protest.
The White House referred comments on the matter to the State Department, which said the administration is committed to supporting the World Cup while upholding U.S. law and ensuring national security and public safety.
“Part of the delegation was approved and part of the delegation was not approved,” Giuliani stated. “It’s a national security decision.”
The visa denials came despite assurances earlier this year by Gianni Infantino, the FIFA president who has close ties to Trump and is a frequent visitor to the White House.
In October, he told reporters at a European football club assembly in Rome that "obviously there will be no issues regarding visas for participating teams and delegations, etc. And we are working on something for the fans, hopefully, there will be good news soon."
A balancing act
The White House has emphasized that it is allocating resources to streamline visa processing for fans who will attend the 48-nation tournament.
Representative Darin LaHood, who has participated in multiple FIFA task force meetings at the White House this year and is an enthusiastic football fan, noted that visa processing times have been shortened and said that is proof that the administration “wants this to work and wants people to come here.”
“I think sport and the World Cup transcend politics,” said LaHood, a Republican from the state of Illinois.
“There must be a welcoming message so that people feel comfortable coming to the United States,” LaHood commented. “I think you will start to see that after the draw and when things are set up.”
The State Department has deployed more than 400 additional consular officers to handle global visa demand, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that in approximately 80% of the world, travelers to the United States can get a visa appointment within 60 days. A new system, “FIFA Pass,” allows those who have purchased World Cup tickets through FIFA to obtain expedited visa appointments.
However, there have been very visceral reminders of how the administration's immigration crackdown could interfere with World Cup events.
During the Club World Cup this summer, Alex Lasry, CEO of the New York/New Jersey World Cup host committee, warned about official government social media posts warning that federal immigration agents would be “equipped and ready” at the matches.
Asked Wednesday about the possibility of immigration raids at World Cup matches, Giuliani told reporters that Trump “doesn’t rule out anything that helps make U.S. citizens safer.”
Disappointed Haiti fans
Some fans are already facing the reality that they will not be able to travel to the United States.
Rich André, director of state and local initiatives at the American Immigration Council, is the son of immigrants from Haiti, a “nation passionate about football” that qualified for the World Cup for the first time in 50 years. He said many Haitians would love nothing more than to come to the United States for the tournament, but they likely won't get the chance.
“Without a doubt, they are trying to create an exception here so that the show can go on,” André said, noting the exemptions for athletes, coaches, and others close to the team. “But the show doesn't go on without fans being able to come and cheer for their team in person.”
[Publicidad]