Palestinian humanitarians detained at SFO Wednesday
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Palestinian humanitarian activists are being held at the San Francisco International Airport after not being allowed into the Bay Area, where they were invited to speak, San Francisco Supervisor Bilal Mahmood said Wednesday.
Mahmood is calling for the immediate release of the two humanitarian activists after he said no reason was given to them by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers as to why their visas were being revoked. The two men have allegedly been held at the airport since 1 p.m. Wednesday.
A protest organized by the Council on American-Islamic Relations calling for their release is planned for 8:30 a.m. Thursday at SFO's Terminal G.
Current U.S. policy allows for Palestinians to enter the U.S. if they have a valid B-1 or B-2 visa. They are allowed to stay up to six months on business or as tourists, according to the U.S. Department of State.
'One of them had testified before Congress previously,' Mahmood wrote on X. 'This injustice must be corrected. We are urging the federal government to reverse their decision ASAP.'
The activists were invited by local faith communities to the Bay Area and were set to speak at the Kehilla Community Synagogue as well as the Buena Vista and Los Altos United Methodist Churches.
CBP told Mahmood that the two men would be sent back on a flight to the Middle East, according to the supervisor.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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