The State Department on Saturday said it was halting all visitor visas for individuals from Gaza while it conducts “a full and thorough review of the process and procedures used to issue a small number of temporary medical-humanitarian visas in recent days.”
The move comes after investigative journalist Laura Loomer reported that Gazans were arriving in Texas and California, publishing a video showing several families entering the country, with some waving small Palestinian flags.
“Despite the US saying we are not accepting Palestinian ‘refugees’ into the United States under the Trump administration, I have obtained video footage of Palestinians who claim to be refugees from Gaza coming into the United States via San Francisco and Houston, Texas this month. The Palestinians traveled from Gaza to the US with the help of a group called ‘Heal Palestine,’” Loomer wrote on the X platform.
“How did Palestinians get Visas under the Trump administration to get into the United States? Did @StateDept approve this? How did they get out of Gaza? Is @SecRubio aware of this?” she continued. Who from the State Department is assisting ‘Heal Palestine’?
“Why are any Islamic invaders coming into the US under the Trump admin? Who approved the visas? How many more are being given visas to come into the US, and why are @GavinNewsom @GregAbbott_TX harboring Palestinian ‘refugees’ in California and Texas?” her post continued.
According to an analysis of monthly data published on the State Department’s website, the U.S. has issued more than 3,800 B1/B2 visitor visas — which allow foreigners to receive medical treatment in the United States — to holders of Palestinian Authority travel documents. That total includes 640 visas granted in May alone, the Jerusalem Post reported.
Loomer’s remarks drew sharp backlash from some Republicans, with Rep. Chip Roy of Texas vowing to look into the issue and Rep. Randy Fine of Florida calling it a “national security risk.”
An internal State Department cable obtained by Reuters revealed that in April, the Trump administration ordered social media vetting for all U.S. visa applicants who have traveled to the Gaza Strip on or after January 1, 2007.
The directive applies to both immigrant and non-immigrant visas and includes NGO workers as well as individuals who visited Gaza in any official or diplomatic capacity, the cable stated, the Post reported.
“If the review of social media results uncovers potential derogatory information relating to security issues, then a SAO must be submitted,” the cable said, in reference to a security advisory opinion, which stems from an interagency probe that determines whether a visa applicant poses any national security risks to the U.S.
In June, Trump issued a proclamation barring nationals from 12 countries from entering the United States, citing the need to guard against “foreign terrorists” and other security threats. The ban applies to Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
Entry from seven additional countries — Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela — will face partial restrictions.
The announcement follows France’s recent decision to review its visa process for Palestinians fleeing the conflict, after revelations that a Palestinian student had shared antisemitic content on social media.