State Department Denies Gaza Children Medical Visas
Pause halts medical trips for Palestinian children as advocates warn of “devastating” consequences
WASHINGTON — The State Department has halted all visitor visas for individuals from Gaza, including those seeking medical treatment, while it conducts what officials described as a “full and thorough” review of its visa issuance procedures.
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The suspension, announced Saturday, freezes the B1/B2 visa category that allows foreign nationals to enter the United States for tourism, family visits, or short-term medical care. More than 3,800 such visas were granted to holders of Palestinian Authority travel documents this year, including 640 in May alone, according to State Department data.
A department post on X, formerly Twitter, said the pause would remain in place while officials reassess how a “small number” of medical-humanitarian visas were issued in recent days. No timeline for completing the review was given.
The move follows online claims by far-right activist Laura Loomer, amplified by Republican lawmakers, that Palestinians recently entered the United States under the program and posed a potential security threat. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, pledged to investigate, while utterly batshit Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., called the visas a “national security risk.”
Civil rights and humanitarian groups condemned the freeze, saying it would deny lifesaving care to sick and wounded children from Gaza, where health officials say more than 61,000 people have been killed during Israel’s ongoing military campaign.
The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund said the decision “will have a devastating and irreversible impact on our ability to bring injured and critically ill children from Gaza to the United States for lifesaving medical treatment — a mission that has defined our work for more than 30 years.”
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The Council on American-Islamic Relations called the move “intentionally cruel,” with National Executive Director Nihad Awad saying it amounted to “blocking Palestinian children injured by American weapons from coming to America for medical treatment.” CAIR accused the Trump administration of prioritizing Israeli interests at the expense of humanitarian obligations.
The visa halt comes amid escalating debate in Washington over U.S. policy toward Israel and Gaza. Yet on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday, host Kristen Welker did not ask Secretary of State Marco Rubio about the policy change, a silence that drew frustration from pro-Palestinian advocates pressing for answers from the administration.
While the U.S. has not signaled willingness to admit Palestinians displaced by the war, sources told Reuters that South Sudan and Israel are discussing potential resettlement plans. For now, more than 15,000 sick and wounded people inside Gaza remain in need of medical evacuation, according to international aid groups.
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