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2.0

DOS pauses all visitor visas for Palestinians

  1. Original Date Announced

    August 16, 2025

    The Department of State (DOS) announced that it is pausing “[a]ll visitor visas for individuals from Gaza” while the department 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.”

    Trump 2.0 [ID #1925]

    2025.08.16 DOS - DOS pauses visitor visas for individuals from Gaza
  2. Effective Date

    August 16, 2025
  3. Subsequent Trump and Court Action

    August 31, 2025

    2025.08.31 Reported: U.S. Suspends Visas for Palestinian Passport Holders, Officials Say - New York Times

    The New York Times reports that the State Department, in a cable from August 18, ordered U.S. embassies and consulates to suspend nonimmigrant visas under Section 221(g) of the INA for individuals holding a Palestinian passport. The new measures affect visas for medical treatment, university studies, visits to friends or relatives, and business travel. They do not apply to Palestinians with dual nationality or those who have already obtained visas.

    The State Department also recently denied visas to Palestinian officials seeking to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

    View Document

Current Status

None

Original Trump Policy Status

Status: Final/Actual
Trump Administration Action: Agency Directive
Agencies Affected: DOS

Commentary

  • 2025.08.16 U.S. Pauses Visitor Visas for Gazans After Right-Wing Outcry - NYT

    The New York Times reports that DOS's policy change arose after a lobbying campaign against a nonprofit named HEAL Palestine. HEAL Palestine sought to orchestrate what it called the “largest single medical evacuation of injured children from Gaza to the U.S.,” bringing injured and ill children for medical care.

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Documents

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