Overview

• All visitor visas for individuals from Gaza were halted on August 16 while the State Department conducts a full review of its medical-humanitarian visa process.
• Secretary of State Marco Rubio told CBS’s Face the Nation that congressional offices presented evidence of terrorist links involving some visa-facilitating organizations but he did not provide specifics.
• U.S. charities such as HEAL Palestine and the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund warned that the pause will prevent critical care for injured Gazans and urged an immediate reversal.
• Far-right influencer Laura Loomer publicly claimed credit for influencing the decision after her social media campaign questioned flights carrying injured Palestinians to the U.S.
• The State Department has declined to say how many visas are on hold, how long the review will last or whether pending appointments and urgent cases will proceed.