Venezuelan Little League crew granted exemption to President Trump’s journey ban after senior crew denied entry

A crew from Venezuela has obtained approval from the Trump administration to take part within the 2025 Little League World Series, two weeks after a crew from the identical nation was denied entry for a unique match.

The crew from Barquisimeto, Venezuela, the winners of final month’s Latin America area match, was granted a “national exemption” to enter the nation, per The Athletic. The effort reportedly required the intervention of Sen. David McCormick (R-Pa.) and a private sign-off from Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

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Over the weekend, the crew’s Instagram account confirmed it will be taking part in within the match in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

The crew’s standing was in limbo following the denial of a crew from Maracaibo, Venezuela, to play within the Senior League World Series, a Little League-run match for gamers between 13 and 16 years previous. Venezuela is one in every of seven international locations dealing with a restricted ban on entry into the U.S. following an government order from President Donald Trump.

The order grants exceptions to “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, or other major sporting event as determined by the Secretary of State.” That leaves Rubio as the arbiter for what constitutes a “major sporting event,” leaving uncertainty for any international event looking to take place in the U.S.

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The order specifically carves out an opening for those involved with the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, but even that leaves uncertainty based on what is deemed a “necessary support role” or “immediate relative.”

St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras, one of 86 players born in Venezuela to appear in MLB this year, blasted the Senior League team’s situation in an interview with The Athletic:

“What pisses me off is they earned the right to be here,” Contreras mentioned of the crew that was barred final month. “They are little kids chasing dreams. I put myself in their shoes because I was a kid once, and I dreamed of being in the Little League World Series once.”

In the case of the Little League crew, McCormick, a Trump ally on immigration, reportedly labored with the State Department to make sure the Venezuelans had been granted entry, by way of the Athletic:

“I am thrilled my team and I were able to play a small role in making sure young athletes are able to chase their dreams and participate in this timeless Pennsylvania tradition,” McCormick said in a statement to The Athletic.

MLB also reportedly offered help to Little League with the visa process after months of following the Trump administration’s lead on topics such as reinstating Pete Rose from the ineligible list and eliminating mentions of range packages from its web site.

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The 2025 Little League World Series is scheduled to happen Aug. 13-24 in Williamsport.