Layan, 14 years old, Anas, 8, and Ghazal, 6, arrived in the Bay Area earlier this month. They’re here seeking medical care after sustaining injuries in the war in Gaza.
But they might have their medical-humanitarian visas revoked.
Over the weekend, conservative activist Laura Loomer complained online about injured Palestinians receiving medical care in the U.S. She called for the person who signed off on the visas to be fired. A day later, the state department posted on X that it was stopping visitor visas for individuals from Gaza while it reviewed its visa issuance process.
The visas were secured with the help of HEAL Palestine. It’s a non-profit that has helped evacuate more than 60 injured children and their family members to the U.S. in the last year-and-a-half.
In a statement, HEAL Palestine said it was “distressed by the State Department’s decision to stop all visitor visas from Gaza.”
It takes months to organize the evacuations, costs thousands of dollars per person, and requires the approval of four different governments.
On Monday Congressman Tim Burchett asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio about the relationship between HEAL Palestine and the State Department.
