- A potential travel ban levied against certain countries by the Trump administration could impact baseball players. The ban could include visitors and workers from Venezuela and Cuba, among other countries.
- The travel ban is part of the executive orders Trump signed on his first day back in office.
- It could affect hundreds of players at the major and minor league levels, including stars like Ronald Acuña, Jr. and José Altuve.
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The Trump administration is getting closer to enacting a travel ban on visitors and workers from certain countries. It could ultimately impact numerous foreign athletes and entertainers—most notably, Major and Minor League Baseball players.
On the first day of his second term, President Donald Trump signed a slate of executive orders, including one that required government officials to recommend countries for a travel ban by Friday, March 21. The order cites countries that advocate for “foreign terrorist” groups and “hostile attitudes” towards U.S. “citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles” as reasons for visa rejection and possible removal.
What countries are on the travel ban’s ‘red list’?
According to Reuters, the following “red list” countries are among the travel ban recommendations:
- Sudan
- Venezuela
- Somalia
- Syria
- Yemen
- Iran
- Libya
- Cuba
- North Korea
Afghanistan and Pakistan could also be added to the list. Venezuela and Cuba are two of the nine countries that have a strong presence in baseball leagues at nearly every professional level.
Which players could the ban affect?
Depending on when the ban goes into effect, major league stars such as Ronald Acuña, Jr., José Altuve, Yordan Álvarez and Luis Robert, Jr., as well as more than 100 others across the major and minor leagues, could have a hard time traveling outside the U.S., even to play games against the Blue Jays in Toronto. The travel restrictions would also impact coaches and staff from countries on the list.
Reports say the administration is working on a tiered system that could affect more than 40 countries. The system would involve varying degrees of visa suspensions depending on where a visitor is from, the vetting process, and other criteria.
When will it be announced and enacted?
The White House has yet to comment on the reports that a ban is imminent, and MLB has yet to respond to a request for comment, according to multiple news outlets. There is also no word on whether high-profile athletes and entertainers will be exempt.
If or when a ban goes into effect, there are also bound to be legal challenges, as there were during Trump’s first term when he imposed his so-called “Muslim ban.” That executive order banned travel from predominantly Muslim countries in the Middle East for 90 days and was challenged up to the Supreme Court.