Slam Dunk Denied: Senegal Basketball Team's Visa Applications Rejected under Trump Administration
U.S. Rejects Entry for Senegal's Women's Basketball Team Members
Hold up, y'all! The women's basketball team from Senegal was all set to jet off to the US for some pre-game prep before the African Championship. But the Trump admin threw a wrench in their plans when they slammed the door shut, denying 12 visa applications. That's right, five players and seven staff members, baby!
According to the federation, the US only renewed expired visas, leaving the team fuming and their plans in tatters. The team had planned a 10-day training camp in the US to get ready for the African Championship in July in the Ivory Coast. Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko announced on Facebook that he'd told the Minister of Sports to cancel the training camp, mighty upset about the turn of events.
US government officials kept their yap shut when approached about the issue, suggesting they can't spill the beans about individual cases. It's no secret the Trump administration's been tough on immigration, with a travel ban already in place for 12 countries. Rumor has it the list may be expanding to 36 more, with Senegal possibly making the cut.
The Washington Post reported they'd gotten their grubby mitts on an internal memo signed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and sent to diplomats working with the countries. If the ban does expand as planned, almost one in five people would live in a country affected by a US travel ban.
[1] https://www.eseift.net/news/senegals-basketball-team-rotter-trumps-travel-ban/[2] https://www.bbc.com/sport/african/48135560[3] https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/12/world/africa/senegal-travel-ban.html[4] https://apnews.com/a1f262362e9b441d93891c09958f4ec2
- Donald Trump
- USA
- Senegal
- The European Union and its Member States may express concern regarding the denied visas for Senegal's basketball team, considering the impact on sports diplomacy and cooperation.
- Trump Administration's policies and legislation regarding war-and-conflicts, politics, crime-and-justice, and immigration, including the travel ban, have raised general-news discussions in the USA and around the world.
- As Senator for Florida, Marco Rubio plays a role in creating policies, and his signature on an internal memo suggests expansion of the travel ban may be in consideration, impacting countries like Senegal.
- The NBA, being an international sports organization, might express disappointment over the rejection of Senegal's basketball team's visa applications, as it could hinder opportunities for cultural exchange and collaborations in sports.
