2 days ago
US halts visitor visas for Gazans after far-right influencer posts
The US government suspended visitor visas for Gazans late on Saturday after complaints by a far-right influencer that wounded Palestinians were allowed to seek medical treatment in the country.
"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," the State Department said on X.
The move has sparked condemnation from some Palestinian rights groups.
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 life-saving medical treatment".
The group urged the US to reverse its decision.
"Medical evacuations are a lifeline for the children of Gaza who would otherwise face unimaginable suffering or death due to the collapse of medical infrastructure in Gaza," it said.
The shift in policy came after Laura Loomer, a far-right activist who has close ties to President Donald Trump, criticised the American visa programme and called on Washington to "shut this abomination down".
She claimed those who have been transported to the US were "pro-HAMAS... affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood," without providing evidence.
Ms Loomer's target was the US-based charity HEAL Palestine, which said last week it had helped 11 critically wounded Gazan children, as well as their caregivers and siblings, arrive safely in the US for medical treatment.
It was "the largest single medical evacuation of injured children from Gaza to the US," the charity said on its website.
Ms Loomer said she had spoken to the staff of Republican Tom Cotton, who chairs the Senate intelligence committee, adding that they were "also looking into how these GAZANS got visas to come into the US".
After the decision was announced, the activist, who doesn't hold any political power, took credit for the move and thanked Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Republican Congressman Randy Fine commended Ms Loomer after the visa change was announced, a sign of her influence over some US policy.
"Massive credit needs to be given to @LauraLoomer for uncovering this and making me and other officials aware. Well done, Laura," Mr Fine wrote on X.
