Nigeria finalist barred, New York Mills Think-Off replaces her entry

A visa denial in Washington turned into a last-minute lineup change in New York Mills, where organizers of the Great American Think-Off had to replace one of four finalists before the 33rd annual debate. Solape Adetutu Adeyemi, a researcher, consultant, writer and environmental sustainability advocate from Lagos, Nigeria, was expected to compete in Otter Tail County until she was denied entry into the United States twice.

Organizers worked with elected officials and submitted letters of support in an effort to help Adeyemi get here, but the effort did not change the outcome. Julie Iverson of Minneapolis was invited to fill the open finalist slot, allowing the event to proceed with a full four-person panel instead of a reduced field.

The debate is scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday, June 13, at the New York Mills School Auditorium, with doors opening at 6 p.m. Audience members will vote in three rounds to decide America’s Greatest Thinker, a format that has defined the event since it began in 1993 at the New York Mills Regional Cultural Center.

This year’s question asks, “Has the pursuit of happiness made Americans unhappy?” The Cultural Center has framed the Think-Off as a contest built around civil disagreement and open participation, with finalists drawn from across the United States. Thaddeus McCamant of Frazee remains in the lineup, joining Iverson and the other finalists in a debate that was announced in early May.

Adeyemi’s exclusion underscores how federal immigration policy can reach well beyond airports and consulates, reshaping a local arts event in rural Minnesota days before the audience takes its seats. The Department of State says Presidential Proclamation 10998, which took effect at 12:01 a.m. EST on January 1, 2026, fully or partially suspended visa issuance for nationals of 39 countries, including Nigeria under the partial suspension categories.

For New York Mills, the change was more than a paperwork problem. The Think-Off is one of the town’s signature events, and the replacement preserved the full debate format that helps draw participants and spectators to the school auditorium each June. Even in a small-town setting, the contest’s reach now extends from Otter Tail County to Lagos, and the impact of that reach was felt in the days leading up to Friday’s debate.