Village Mayor Clyde Rabideau posted a Facebook message exchange he had this morning with Abid Hussain Khan, 34, who lives in the Himalayan Mountain region of Jammu in India’s northern Kashmir province.

“Sorry sir, visa denied,” Khan told the mayor.

Khan said he had just returned from the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, where he and fellow snowshoer Tanveer Hussain, 26, provided all their required and supporting documents to an embassy official.

“The lady officer at US embassy in New Delhi after checking all docs, just went inside into another room,” Khan wrote. “After returning she said, sorry, due to our current policy we cant issue you visa.”

Members of the SnowShoe Federation of India (Photo from their Facebook page)

“This will not stand,” Rabideau wrote back. “Do not give up! We will do all we can.”

Rabideau told the Enterprise this morning that Khan and Hussain are part of a contingent of a half-dozen Indian athletes and coaches who planned to be here for the Feb. 25 World Snowshoe Championships. He met them at last year’s championships in Italy and invited them to come to Saranac Lake.

Rabideau he’s helped them get the necessary visa documentation and provided them with a letter of support.

“They’re great people. I consider them very good friends now,” Rabideau said. “We hope we can resolve the issue. I’ve already reached out to our two U.S. senators, hoping they can somehow get to the U.S. representatives in New Delhi and get this straightened out.”

Trump on Friday issued a 90-day ban on travelers from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen — not India. He also suspended the admission of all refugees for 120 days and indefinitely barred refugees from Syria.

Saranac Lake Mayor Clyde Rabideau speaks at a Jan. 11 press conference about the World Snowshoe Championships being held in the village in February. Behind him, from left, are village Trustee Rich Shapiro, Paul Smith's College Director of Athletics Jim Tucker, Harrietstown Councilman Ron Keough and Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce director Johnny Muldowney. (Enterprise photo — Chris Knight)

Trump supporters say it is a needed safeguard, but thousands have protested the order at airports around the country. Civil rights groups and some members of Congress have denounced it.

Asked if he thinks Trump’s travel ban is the “current policy” cited by Khan as the reason for his visa being denied, Rabideau said, “One could only guess.

“It’s a tumultuous time for people traveling to the U.S., particularly from countries that are Muslim,” Rabideau said. “This part of India is Muslim, and I don’t know if these athletes are Muslim or not. It never occurred to me to ask, nor would I ask. It’s none of my business. I hope, whatever this so-called current policy issue is, it can be resolved because there’s no other reason in my imagination for these athletes to be denied visas to come here to compete.

“International sports competition is one of the greatest vehicles we’ve ever had for creating understanding and friendships throughout the world and making the world a more peaceful and better place. So let it happen in Saranac Lake, and let these athletes come here.”

There are other international athletes among the more than 210 people registered so far for the snowshoe championships, including from France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Rabideau said he hasn’t heard of any other athletes having travel issues getting here.

“This is the first trouble we’ve heard about, and I hope it’s the only time, and I hope it can be reversed,” he said.