What Trump’s immigration crackdown means for the 2028 Olympics

President Donald Trump signs an executive order creating a task force for the 2028 Summer Olympics in the South Court Auditorium of the White House in Washington, on Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025. The task force will focus on security along with other logistics for the Olympic Games, which are scheduled to begin in July 2028 in Los Angeles and will be followed by the Summer Paralympics in August. (Doug Mills/The New York Times)

By Luke Broadwater

President Donald Trump is making plans to celebrate the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, an event that will draw many thousands of people from around the world, even as he makes it harder than ever for foreign visitors to come to the United States.

Trump has imposed a travel ban and visa restrictions on 19 countries, and the State Department has announced a pilot program that would require some foreign visitors to pay bonds of up to $15,000 to secure a visa.

Here’s a look at what Trump’s immigration crackdown means for the Olympic Games.

Will there be exceptions for athletes?

Yes. Athletes competing in the Olympic Games and World Cup (which the United States will host in 2026) are exempt from the travel ban.

The White House has said it will allow into the country “any athlete or member of an athletic team, including coaches, persons performing a necessary support role and immediate relatives, traveling for the World Cup, Olympics.”

Olympians typically use visas reserved for high-level athletes.

Trump announced a task force earlier this week to make sure there is a streamlined visa processing and credentialing process for foreign athletes, coaches, officials and members of the news media.

Will there be exceptions for fans?

No. Fans from the affected countries will have to abide by the restrictions. The State Department said people who want to come and watch the Olympic Games should apply for visas as soon as possible.

“We encourage prospective foreign travelers who will need U.S. visas to travel to the 2028 Olympics to apply early,” the statement said.

The State Department noted that the travel and tourism sector contributes nearly 10 million jobs to the U.S. economy.

What are the latest restrictions?

Beginning Aug. 20, the United States will begin a one-year pilot program in which travelers from Malawi or Zambia must post a bond ranging from $5,000 to $15,000, determined at the person’s visa interview. The bond requirement applies to travelers eligible for a business or tourism visa, known as a B1 or B2 visa.

As a condition of the bond, all visa holders from these two countries must arrive at and depart from the United States via Boston Logan International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York or Washington Dulles International Airport.

The State Department says the bond will help ensure the travelers do not overstay their visas. The countries were chosen based on their high visa overstay rates, according to data compiled by the Homeland Security Department.

Who is affected by the travel ban?

In June, Trump barred travel to the United States by citizens of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

Trump also imposed restrictions, but stopped short of a full ban, on travel from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.