Overview

• The State Department has paused all visitor visa processing for Gazans as it conducts a full review of how temporary medical-humanitarian visas were approved.
• Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the decision came after multiple congressional offices raised questions about the vetting process.
• Far-right influencer Laura Loomer publicized videos of injured Gazans arriving in the U.S. and publicly took credit for prompting the agency review.
• U.S.-based charities such as HEAL Palestine and the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund condemned the pause, warning it will halt urgent medical evacuations of critically ill patients.
• Key details—including the number of visas affected, duration of the pause, and handling of pending or already-issued appointments—have not been disclosed.