Overview

• Eid and Awdah Hathaleen, Palestinian activists traveling on valid visas for an interfaith humanitarian tour, were detained upon landing at San Francisco International Airport on June 12 after Customs and Border Protection abruptly revoked their visas.
• The cousins had been invited by Kehilla Community Synagogue and local Methodist churches to speak at Bay Area events, raise funds for their West Bank village’s summer camp and foster interfaith dialogue.
• Despite hours of protests by community members, faith leaders and organizations such as CAIR demanding their release, CBP deported the two men to Qatar on June 13 without offering a rationale.
• Critics including San Francisco Supervisor Bilal Mahmood and Democratic members of Congress condemned the deportations as politically motivated actions that threaten free speech and peaceful advocacy.
• The case highlights an increasing use of visa cancellations under President Trump’s administration against pro-Palestinian activists, raising concerns about the broad authority of immigration officials.