• The U.S. halts all visitor visas for individuals from Gaza, pending a review.
• Laura Loomer’s social media posts lead to the visa suspension, claiming security concerns.
• Humanitarian organizations warn the decision will harm critically injured Gazan children seeking treatment.
• Over 3,800 visitor visas have been issued as of 2025, including 640 in May.
• Concerns grow over the implication of Loomer's influence on U.S. policy.

The U.S. State Department announced on Saturday that it is suspending all visitor visas for individuals from Gaza while it conducts “a full and thorough” review of the procedures used to issue a small number of temporary medical-humanitarian visas. This decision follows recent episodes involving conservative activist Laura Loomer, who claimed that “pro-Hamas” individuals were abusing the visa system to enter the U.S., a statement that incited considerable controversy among various political figures and organizations, according to Dawn, The Jakarta Post, HuffPost, LA Times, Le Monde, Middle East Eye, Reuters, and TRT Global.

This suspension also arises from pressures exerted by various congressional offices raising concerns over alleged links between some organizations involved in facilitating these medical evacuations and terrorist groups like Hamas. Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted that "just a small number" of the visas had been issued, primarily to children in dire need of medical assistance who were accompanied by responsible adults, according to HuffPost and LA Times.

In response to the visa halting, HEAL Palestine, a U.S.-based charity coordinating evacuations for injured children and their families, expressed that the suspension would significantly affect children seeking necessary medical care in the U.S. The organization emphasized that its operations, funded through donations rather than U.S. government resources, aim solely to facilitate medical treatment for those unable to receive adequate care at home, according to Middle East Eye and Reuters.

Human rights organizations, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, condemned the visa suspension as “intentionally cruel” and criticized Rubio for seemingly bowing to Loomer’s pressures. CAIR noted the contradiction in barring injured Palestinian children from receiving medical care while allowing entry to individuals with contentious backgrounds from other nations, according to Le Monde, Middle East Eye, and TRT Global.