Wyden Demands Trump Administration Restore Travelers’ Rights
Mistreatment of travelers to U.S. has generated international travel safety warnings and may hurt upcoming global sporting events hosted in our country like the World Cup, Summer Olympics and the Paralympics
Washington D.C. –U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today demanded the Trump Administration restore the rights of the one million travelers who routinely enter the U.S each day, taking note of major upcoming global sporting events like the World Cup, Summer Olympics and Paralympics to be hosted in our country
In today’s letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Wyden noted, “Over the past couple months, there have been numerous troubling reports of due process violations, mistreatment, prolonged questioning and detention, lengthy visa interview wait times, visa revocations, and arbitrary denials of entry of visitors and returning residents of the United States. This has turned ordinary travel into a needlessly grueling ordeal for tourists, business travelers, lawfully permanent residents, and U.S. citizens.”
Wyden pointed out that this administration’s approach to international travelers has prompted many countries around the world–including our allies–to issue warnings to their citizens against travel to the U.S. Additionally, law-abiding noncitizens are expressing concerns with travel to and within the U.S. and have either canceled travel plans or refrained from making them. This is leading to a noticeable decline in travel to the United States, resulting in a loss of revenue for businesses and American job losses.
Wyden went on to warn, “The United States is slated to host three major international sporting events in the coming years. These events should be a boon for local economies and the broader U.S. economy, but your actions toward travelers will jeopardize their success. The 2026 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup is expected to be the largest sporting event in U.S. history, likely bringing five million international visitors and generating $5 billion in expected economic activity. Similarly, the 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic games are expected to generate an additional $5 billion in economic activity for the United States.
Wyden expressed concern for the travelers seeking entry to the U.S. for these events, including the “extraordinary athletes, support staff, government officials, journalists, business owners and spectators,” who may be hesitant, or unable, to travel here because of this administration’s harsh and chaotic treatment of incoming travelers, including foreign-born athletes who proudly and lawfully represent U.S. teams.
“The United States has been preparing for these sporting events for years — billions of dollars are being spent — and your Departments should be working to ensure their success. Your Departments’ policies and practices must uphold travelers’ rights and maintain the security interests of the United States — these are not mutually exclusive. I therefore ask that you immediately cease activities that harm the constitutional rights of travelers, which in turn harm the U.S. economy, and rectify your practices to support the needs of those traveling to and from our country,” Wyden concluded.
Full text of the letter is here.
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