State Department halts Gazan visitors' visas amid review
Aug. 16 (UPI) -- A review of medical-humanitarian visa processing temporarily has stopped the State Department from approving visitors' visas for Gazans as of Saturday.
The State Department announced the halt in visa processing for Gazans after podcaster Laura Loomer on Friday questioned flights that carry injured Gazans needing medical care into the United States, Politico reported on Saturday.
Loomer reported "flights of Gazans arriving at airports all across" the United States, and the State Department reported the halt in visa processing for Gazans on Saturday.
"All visitor visas for individuals from Gaza are being stopped while we conduct a full and thorough review of the process and procedures used to issue a small number of temporary medical-humanitarian visas in recent days," State Department staff posted on X on Saturday morning.
Neither the State Department nor Secretary of State Marco Rubio provided additional information regarding the decision.
The State Department's decision comes after the Trump administration in June increased its vetting of visa applicants to include social media posts and other online activities by respective applicants.
Officials in France likewise suspended the evacuation of Gazans to France after a female student identified as a "Palestinian" allegedly circulated a social media post depicting former German dictator Adolf Hitler calling for the killing of Jews, according to Fox News.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told media the woman must leave France and said no further evacuations of Gazans will occur while the matter is investigated to learn how she obtained a student visa.
In the United States, Kent, Ohio-based non-profit HEAL Palestine is sponsoring the evacuation of injured Gazans to obtain medical care in the United States.
HEAL Palestine says it has evacuated 148 Gazans, including 63 children, and brought them to the United States for medical care.
The evacuees are being treated in locations across the nation, including Atlanta, Boston, San Antonio and Seattle and will return to Egypt upon completion of their medical care, the non-profit says.
HEAL Palestine was founded in 2024 and says it primarily helps children between ages 6 and 15, but its numbers show it has brought more adults to the United States than children.
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