The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says it is updating visa policies to prevent transgender women from entering the U.S. to compete in women\u2019s athletic events, in line with an executive order from President Trump. <\/p>\n
Guidance issued Monday afternoon by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) effectively bars trans women from obtaining temporary work visas to compete in women\u2019s sports. The new policy<\/a> applies to three visa categories for individuals possessing \u201cexceptional\u201d or \u201cextraordinary\u201d talent in science, art, education, business and athletics, as well as national interest waivers, which allow people outside the U.S. to self-petition for a green card if their work benefits the nation\u2019s interests. <\/p>\n The agency\u2019s guidance, which is effective immediately, was first reported<\/a> by the conservative news outlet the Daily Wire. It does not use the word \u201ctransgender,\u201d referring to trans women only as \u201cmale athletes\u201d seeking to compete in women\u2019s sports.\u00a0<\/p>\n Matthew Tragesser, a spokesperson for USCIS, said in a statement<\/a> the agency \u201cis closing the loophole for foreign male athletes whose only chance at winning elite sports is to change their gender identity and leverage their biological advantages against women.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a matter of safety, fairness, respect, and truth that only female athletes receive a visa to come to the U.S. to participate in women\u2019s sports,\u201d Tragesser said. \u201cThe Trump Administration is standing up for the silent majority who\u2019ve long been victims of leftist policies that defy common sense.\u201d <\/p>\n The agency\u2019s updated guidance clarifies that, with respect to demonstrating extraordinary ability in athletics, USCIS \u201cconsiders the fact that a male athlete has been competing against women as a negative factor\u201d in determining whether they are \u201camong the small percentage at the very top of the field.\u201d <\/p>\n The document adds that it is not in the national interest of the U.S. to waive labor certification requirements \u201cfor male athletes whose proposed endeavor is to compete in women\u2019s sports.\u201d <\/p>\n An executive order<\/a> issued by Trump in February states it is the policy of the U.S. \u201cto oppose male competitive participation in women\u2019s sports.\u201d The order, which Trump had pledged to sign while campaigning for the presidency, directed DHS to review visa policies \u201cto address males falsely asserting they are females when entering the United States to compete in women\u2019s sports.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n An administration official told The Hill in February<\/a> that visa applications from transgender athletes looking to compete in women\u2019s sporting events in the U.S. would be reviewed \u201cfor fraud.\u201d <\/p>\n Responding to Trump\u2019s order, the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee late last month barred transgender women<\/a> from competing in women\u2019s events. A spokesperson for the organization declined to say whether the policy change will impact female athletes with differences in sex development, the eligibility of whom has emerged as a flashpoint in recent years. <\/p>\n The next Summer Olympics are set to take place in Los Angeles in 2028.<\/p>\n At a signing ceremony for his executive order on transgender athletes in February, Trump said his administration would not allow transgender athletes to compete<\/a> in the Summer Games.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re just not going to let it happen,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s ending right now, and nobody\u2019s going to be able to damn thing about it because when I speak, we speak with authority.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says it is updating visa policies to prevent transgender women from entering the U.S. to compete in women\u2019s athletic events, in line with an<\/p>\n