On Saturday January 28th, massive protests erupted at airports all across the United States. It was a response to the most extremely controversial and inherently discriminatory executive order that President Donald Trump has signed. The E.O. commonly known as the “Muslim Ban” temporarily barred entry into the U.S. citizens from Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
Later, a federal court in Seattle overturned the order. Trump’s representatives stated in court documents that they will not appeal the the ruling in a higher court and will instead replace the “travel ban” with a new, modified one. However, given the current political climate surrounding immigration issues, and Trump’s ultra-authoritarian and stubborn ruling style, more turmoil is expected.
So even while the ban is still currently on hiatus, former Man United star Dwight Yorke was denied entry into the United States, simply because his passport had an Iranian stamp on it.
ESPN FC describes the former Man United star as having:
“enjoyed widespread success in English football, playing for Aston Villa, United, Blackburn, Birmingham and Sunderland as well as spell with Sydney FC in Australia before retiring in 2009.
“Yorke has enjoyed a varied career since then and, having this week worked for BeIN Sports, was due to travel from Doha, Qatar to Trinidad and Tobago, via Miami, on personal business on Friday.”
In 2015, Yorke played for the World Stars in a charity match against the Iranian Stars held in Tehran. That trip earned him an Iranian travel visa stamp on his passport, and it created trouble with customs agents at an airport in Miami when he flew in from Qatar.
“I couldn’t quite believe what was happening. I have lost count of the number of times I have been to America, I love the country, yet I was being made to feel like a criminal.
“I had bought my ticket and checked in and was about to get on the flight when I was stopped by two officials. I thought ‘what is happening here?’
“They told me there was a visa problem and a red flag had come up against my name because of an Iranian stamp in my passport. I went there to play in a legends match to open a stadium and didn’t even stay overnight.
“The two officials told me if I got on the flight I would simply be deported back to Qatar once I arrived in the States. I tried to explain I didn’t even live in Qatar and was just trying to get to my home in the Caribbean.”
Yorke currently lives in the Caribbean and he is of Trinidadian nationality.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times and Bold, contributes regularly to the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye publication, CGTN America, WGN CLTV News and KOZN.
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