Trump admin to deny all visas for male trans athletes seeking to compete as women in 2028 Olympics

Sources who spoke to The Athletic said that two memos were sent internationally to diplomatic as well as consular officials. The cables provided instruction on the handling of visa applications to the United States.

One cable, first reported by the Guardian, instructed visa officers to apply Immigration and Nationality Act section 212(a)(6)(C)(i) against trans-identified male applicants. The directive from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio read, "In cases where applicants are suspected of misrepresenting their purpose of travel or sex, you should consider whether this misrepresentation is material such that it supports an ineligibility finding."

That section of the Immigration and Nationality Act seeks to prevent attempts to obtain a visa by "fraud or willfully misrepresenting a material fact." Under this section, those denied a visa on those grounds could face permanent exclusion from the US, with only limited waivers being granted.

This comes after President Donald Trump signed an executive order in early February barring trans-identified males from participating in women’s spots. Under the order, the Trump administration will revoke federal funding from public schools that do not obey it across the country. In addition, he has also signed an executive order on day one stating that sex is defined as male or female, and that government-issued IDs should reflect this.

Trump’s February executive order instructed the State Department to use "all appropriate and available measures" in order to ensure the Olympics only allows eligibility for sporting events to be decide “according to sex and not gender identity or testosterone reduction.”

Trump has said that US policy dictates "that America categorically rejects transgender lunacy." He added, "We want them to change everything having to do with the Olympics and having to do with this absolutely ridiculous subject that we even have to talk about this subject."

Speaking on the 2028 Olympics in early February, Trump said, "I’m also directing our Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem…to deny any and all visa applications made by men attempting to fraudulently enter the United States while identifying themselves as women athletes." The White House previously stated that Trump "does expect the Olympic Committee and the NCAA to no longer allow men to compete in women's sports."

The cables could also mean further implications for trans-identified male athletes seeking to compete in women’s sports leagues in the US, such as the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) or the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). The US and Mexico are both favorites to host the women’s World Cup in 2031.