US Government Suspends Gaza Visas Following Far-Right Social Media Storm

United States Suspends Visitor Visas for Gaza Residents Amid Political Backlash and Humanitarian Concerns

The United States government has announced a temporary halt on issuing visitor visas to individuals from Gaza, pending a comprehensive and detailed review of current visa issuance processes. This decision came shortly after a surge of social media posts concerning Palestinian refugees sparked intense criticism from right-wing political figures and activists.

On Saturday, the U.S. Department of State confirmed the suspension following controversial claims made by far-right activist and known ally of former President Donald Trump, Laura Loomer. Loomer’s posts on X (formerly Twitter) alleged that Palestinians who identify as refugees from Gaza recently entered the United States through cities such as San Francisco and Houston. She questioned how permitting Islamic immigrants to enter the U.S. aligns with the America First immigration policy. Loomer further claimed that additional Palestinian refugees had arrived in Missouri, asserting that several U.S. Senators and members of Congress had privately expressed outrage to her via text messages.

Among public Republican voices, Chip Roy of Texas pledged to investigate these claims, while Randy Fine of Florida labeled the reported arrivals as a “national security threat,” amplifying concerns about border security and immigration policies.

State Department’s Visa Freeze and Review

The State Department’s announcement came in response to these allegations, stating that all visa issuance to individuals from Gaza will be paused as officials conduct a “full and thorough review” of the procedures related to the approval of a limited number of temporary medical-humanitarian visas in recent days. The exact number of visas affected was not disclosed.

According to recent reports by Reuters, in May 2025, the U.S. issued approximately 640 visas to holders of the Palestinian Authority travel document. These visas, commonly categorized as B1/B2 visitor visas, allow Palestinians to travel to the U.S. primarily for medical treatment purposes.

Humanitarian Groups Condemn Visa Suspension as “Dangerous and Inhumane”

Humanitarian organizations and advocacy groups swiftly condemned the U.S. government’s decision, warning of dire consequences for Palestinian children in Gaza who urgently need lifesaving medical care abroad.

The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF) described the visa freeze as a “dangerous and inhumane decision” that threatens to prevent critically ill and injured children from receiving necessary treatment in the United States. Tareq Hailat, PCRF’s Director of Global Patient Affairs, called the move “extremely devastating” and urged the U.S. government to reverse the suspension immediately. He emphasized that denying medical visas effectively strips Gaza’s children of their fundamental human rights and access to essential healthcare.

Similarly, HEAL Palestine, an organization that coordinates the evacuation and medical treatment of injured Palestinian children and their families in the U.S., reported having assisted 148 individuals so far, including 63 children requiring urgent care.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) also criticized the visa freeze, framing it as part of a broader pattern of cruelty and bias linked to the Trump administration’s pro-Israel policies. CAIR condemned the U.S. government for blocking Palestinian children injured by American weaponry from accessing medical treatment, while allegedly welcoming figures they described as “racists and indicted war criminals” from the Israeli government. The group labeled the visa suspension as further evidence of U.S. complicity in what it described as Israel’s ongoing genocide of Palestinians, a stance increasingly opposed by many Americans.

Academic and Political Commentary on U.S. Policy

Tamer Qarmout, an Associate Professor at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, expressed strong criticism of the U.S. position, arguing that America has “lost its moral compass” amid the escalating conflict in Gaza. Speaking from Doha, Qarmout called on Washington to suspend arms deliveries to Israel, contending that such measures are essential to halting what he characterized as a genocide.

Far-Right Reaction and Political Fallout

Laura Loomer, who had initially stirred controversy with her social media posts, welcomed the State Department’s decision with enthusiasm, tweeting that it demonstrated how quickly the Trump administration’s policies could yield results. However, Loomer also cautioned that further action was necessary to fully expose the crisis unfolding in Gaza.

Context: Intensifying Violence and Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza

The visa suspension comes as Israel escalates military operations in Gaza, a conflict that has claimed the lives of over 61,800 people in the past 22 months. The United Nations has issued warnings about worsening conditions in Gaza, highlighting widespread starvation, malnutrition, and disease that are driving an alarming rise in famine-related deaths.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has prioritized the capture of Gaza City as part of a broader campaign to control the Gaza Strip. This campaign has led to the forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians into overcrowded and confined areas, which many international observers have compared to concentration zones.