US State Department halts visitor visa process for all Gazans

The State Department on Saturday announced that it was halting all visitor visas for people from Gaza, pending a “full and thorough review” of the process to issue temporary medical visas to individuals from the war-torn strip.

“All visitor visas for individuals from Gaza are being stopped while we conduct a full and thorough review of the process and procedures used to issue a small number of temporary medical-humanitarian visas in recent days,” the department wrote in a statement posted to X.

Conservative firebrand Laura Loomer appeared to take credit for the decision on Saturday, saying that the announcement came “following the release of my reports yesterday exposing flights of GAZANS arriving at airports all across the US.”

The far-right podcast host and presidential ally on Friday made several posts about alleged flights of Gazans to the U.S. with humanitarian aid group HEAL Palestine, which seeks to evacuate and provide medical assistance for injured Gazans — in particular children — wounded during Israel’s ongoing offensive in the besieged strip.

According to the organization’s website, it has successfully evacuated 148 total Gazans, including 63 injured children, bringing them to the U.S. for medical care.

Loomer raged against the program in a series of posts Friday and Saturday morning, demanding that “the Trump administration needs to shut this abomination down ASAP before a family member of one of these GAZANS goes rogue and kills Americans for HAMAS.”

Her posts caught the attention of some staunch pro-Israel Republicans.

“Deeply concerned about the incoming flights – including to Texas – allegedly filled with folks from Gaza as reported by @LauraLoomer. Inquiring,” Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) wrote on Friday.

After the State Department made its announcement, Rep. Randy Fine (R-Fla.) attributed the decision to Loomer’s agitating, writing on X that “massive credit needs to be given to @LauraLoomer for uncovering this and making me and other officials aware.”

The administration’s move comes amid an international reckoning over Israel’s war in Gaza. An increasing number of the U.S.’s global allies — as well as members of President Donald Trump’s MAGA circles — have expressed outrage over the dire conditions in the strip, and demanded that the U.S. reconsider its support for the country’s government.

But while Trump has made comments recognizing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, his administration has shown no sign of wavering in its support of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

As a growing list of countries have come out in support of Palestinian statehood, the State Department last month sanctioned leaders of the Palestine Liberation Organization and Palestinian Authority, while top U.S. officials publicly embraced Israeli leadership.