Federal Guidance Aims to Block Trans Women from U.S. Sporting Events
Transgender women seeking to compete in elite women’s sports in the United States may soon face new immigration hurdles under updated guidance issued Monday by the Department of Homeland Security.
According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), individuals identified as “male athletes” participating in women’s sports will now be viewed as a “negative factor” when applying for visas in the “extraordinary ability” categories. The policy applies to athletes, artists, educators, scientists, and business professionals, and also extends to national interest waivers, which allow certain individuals to bypass labor certification requirements in the green card process.
Although the directive does not directly reference transgender individuals, its language, centered on “male athletes competing in women’s sports,” effectively singles out transgender women. Immigration officials say allowing these athletes to compete is “not in the national interest,” reinforcing a broader pattern of policy aimed at curbing the rights of trans individuals under the current administration.
USCIS spokesperson, Matthew Tragesser, was quoted in the press release on Monday and said, via the statement, “Men do not belong in women’s sports. USCIS is 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. It’s 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’s sports. The Trump Administration is standing up for the silent majority who’ve long been victims of leftist policies that defy common sense.”
It is again important to note that no such dictates have been put in place against trans men or placed in favor of “protecting” them in sport.
The move stems from Executive Order 14187, signed by President Donald Trump earlier this year, which mandates that the federal government recognize only two biological sexes and excludes transgender women from participation in women’s athletic competitions.
LGBTQ+ advocacy groups have condemned the policy as a thinly veiled attempt to codify discrimination under the guise of athletic integrity and national policy.
USCIS has not disclosed how many visa applications might be impacted, nor whether any have been denied under the new criteria. The policy could complicate efforts by international transgender athletes to participate in events such as the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, though the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee has already enacted its restrictions on transgender women in female sports.
