Farah’s status on returning home uncertain

The Somali-born British citizen is training in Ethiopia, but executive order by President Donald Trump might prevent him from rejoining family in Portland in March as originally scheduled

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Four-time Olympic gold medalist Mo Farah is attending a training camp in Ethiopia and wasn’t expected to return to the United States until March.

But Farah, a Somali-born British citizen, might have to wait longer to rejoin his family in Portland, Ore., after President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday barring citizens of Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering the United States for the next 90 days and preventing refugee admission into the country for the next 120 days.

Trump also banned the entry of Syrian refugees indefinitely and gave priority to the entry of Christian refugees over Muslim refugees. Farah is Muslim, but not a refugee.

Farah, who has won consecutive Olympic titles in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters, doesn’t have dual citizenship, nor does he hold a Somali passport, so the executive order might not apply to him. He moved from Somalia to Great Britain at age 8.

When he is not training or racing internationally, Farah has lived in Portland for the past six years and trains with Nike Oregon Project and coach Alberto Salazar. Farah posted on his Facebook page that “President Donald Trump seems to have made me an alien.”

Judges Ann M. Donnelly of Federal District Court in Brooklyn and Leonie M. Brinkema of Federal District Court in Virginia both issued temporary restraining orders Saturday against Trump’s executive order, but the Department of Homeland Security confirmed Sunday it would continue to enforce the president’s decision.

Not only could track and field athletes such as Farah and four-time Olympian Abdi Abdirahman, who was born in Somalia but competes for the U.S., be negatively affected by the executive order, but wrestlers, weightlifters, soccer and basketball players could also face future challenges as well. It could also jeopardize the U.S. bids to host the 2024 Olympics and 2026 World Cup.

In a New York Times article Saturday, IAAF spokeswoman Jackie Brock-Doyle said, “We clearly need to understand the implications of this new U.S. immigration policy and will be seeking assurances that it will not adversely affect,” the 2021 World Championships scheduled to be held in Eugene, Ore.