(GAZA) The U.S. government has suspended all visitor visas for individuals from Gaza, including visas for medical and humanitarian travel, effective Saturday, August 16, 2025. The decision follows a public campaign led by far-right activist Laura Loomer, a close ally of President Trump. The State Department, led by Secretary Marco Rubio, said it will conduct a “full and thorough review” of how these visas are issued. Officials have not said how long the pause will last or when visa processing might resume.
The suspension covers all B-1/B-2 visitor visas for Gaza residents, the category that includes medical treatment in the United States 🇺🇸. It applies to all new applications. No exceptions have been announced for medical emergencies or humanitarian cases, and there is no stated timeline for the review. The policy shift immediately affects families seeking care that is not available inside Gaza, where hospitals face severe shortages.
The move comes just days after the U.S.-based charity HEAL Palestine brought 11 critically injured Gazan children, along with siblings and caregivers, to American hospitals in cities including Boston, Atlanta, and Dallas. The group described that operation as the largest single medical evacuation of injured children from Gaza to the U.S. to date. With the new suspension, HEAL Palestine and other groups say future evacuations are on hold while they wait for instructions from the State Department.
In 2025, the U.S. issued more than 3,800 B-1/B-2 visitor visas to holders of Palestinian Authority travel documents, which include residents of both the West Bank and Gaza. In May alone, 640 such visas were issued. The State Department has not released a breakdown for Gaza applicants, and it has not said whether any pending cases in the pipeline will be decided under the old rules once the review ends.
Loomer’s campaign accused the government of allowing “pro-HAMAS” individuals to enter the country by calling their trips medical. She presented no evidence to support that claim. Her posts drew support from some Republican lawmakers, including Rep. Randy Fine and Rep. Chip Roy, who pressed for broader restrictions and inquiries. Loomer is known for influencing public fights linked to President Trump, and her push now appears to have reshaped visa policy for Gaza in a matter of days.
Humanitarian groups reacted with alarm. HEAL Palestine said it has paused additional evacuations. The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund warned the halt could have a “devastating and irreversible impact” on children who need urgent care. The Council on American-Islamic Relations called the decision “sheer cruelty.” Aid groups say the halt lands amid a deep crisis: since October 2023, more than 61,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to figures cited by humanitarian organizations, and widespread hunger and malnutrition continue to hit children hardest.
Policy Changes Overview
State Department officials say they are reviewing the process by which visitor visas from Gaza are approved. That review is open-ended, and the department has not described what standards or security checks are under reconsideration.
Legal and policy experts note the unusual nature of a visa freeze that appears to follow a social media campaign. They warn this could make humanitarian immigration policy more political in the future and could change how the public views medical travel visas during wars or disasters.
For now, here is what the change means:
- All new visitor visa applications from Gaza are paused while the review is underway.
- No humanitarian or medical exceptions have been announced.
- HEAL Palestine and other medical evacuation groups have halted new travel plans pending official guidance.
- Families and sponsors are urged to monitor the State Department’s updates, including posts on X at @StateDept.
- For authoritative general information on visa categories and policy notices, see the State Department’s site: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas.html.
Key point: Officials have not provided a timeline for the review or stated what criteria will determine when visa processing resumes.
The fate of Gazans who already entered the U.S. for care under existing visas remains unclear. Loomer and some supporters have called for their removal, but officials have not announced any plan to cancel current visas or start deportations.
Advocacy groups say sudden removals would interrupt active treatment plans, including surgeries and rehabilitation, and could put children at immediate risk.
Impact on Applicants and Humanitarian Groups
The pause shuts the door, at least for now, on lifesaving cases that normally move fast. Doctors in the U.S. often accept patients from Gaza for specialized surgeries, cancer care, burn treatment, and limb reconstruction—care that cannot be delayed without harm. With travel now blocked, aid groups say some children will face preventable amputations, organ failure, or death.
Hospitals that had prepared to receive patients, many on a charity basis, report they can do nothing without visas.
According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, the halt underscores how one policy decision can ripple through many lives: patients, parents, siblings, medical staff, airline coordinators, and volunteers who arrange housing and transport. VisaVerge.com reports that NGOs warn of increased mortality and suffering among Gaza’s children if the suspension continues, a fear echoed by doctors who partner with U.S. hospitals.
Arguments from Both Sides
- Supporters of the suspension say it protects national security, repeating Loomer’s claims about infiltration risks.
- Opponents say the move punishes wounded children and turns humanitarian cases into a political fight.
- Several groups argue the U.S. has legal and moral duties to allow treatment when local health systems collapse during war.
- Advocates note that B-1/B-2 visas are temporary, with strict vetting and defined travel plans, usually tied to hospital letters and medical cost estimates.
International Context and Alternatives
Beyond the United States, there is no clear international plan to take in Palestinians displaced by the war. Discussions are ongoing between South Sudan and Israel about possible resettlement arrangements, but no broad scheme exists to meet the growing needs of families seeking safety and care.
Aid groups say the lack of options makes the U.S. suspension even harder for those who had appointments, flights, and beds ready.
Unanswered Questions and Immediate Guidance
As the review proceeds, key questions remain unanswered:
- Will there be a process to approve urgent exceptions?
- Will the State Department set special screening rules for Gaza cases?
- Will children already in the U.S. be allowed to finish treatment before any policy change affects them?
For now, families are told to hold their plans and check official channels for updates. Officials have not promised a timeline. If the past few days are a guide, future shifts could arrive by tweet or a short press note.
Urgent warning: For a child in need of care, every day on hold carries a cost that cannot be repaid.
If you or someone you know is affected, monitor official State Department channels and the resources of NGOs coordinating medical travel.
This Article in a Nutshell
On August 16, 2025, the U.S. halted all B-1/B-2 visas for Gaza, blocking medical travel. The move, driven by Laura Loomer’s campaign, prompted a State Department review under Secretary Marco Rubio. NGOs paused evacuations and warn children face life-threatening delays without clear exceptions or timeline for resuming processing.
