The Trump administration has directed American consular posts worldwide to halt approvals of nearly all visitor visas for holders of Palestinian passports, a policy that took effect August 31, 2025, and expands recent restrictions targeting Palestinian travel to the United States.
The State Department confirmed on Sunday that U.S. embassies and consulates have been ordered to apply Section 221(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act to deny nonimmigrant visa applications submitted with Palestinian Authority passports. The measure, outlined in an August 18 cable to all diplomatic posts, suspends approvals for medical travel, higher education, family visits, and business trips for Palestinians relying solely on those documents.
The restrictions do not apply to Palestinians holding dual citizenship with other passports, or to those who already received valid visas. Palestinian passports were first issued in the 1990s under interim agreements between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
The new order comes after Secretary of State Marco Rubio disclosed last week that the U.S. would deny and revoke visas for senior Palestinian leaders planning to attend the opening of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Rubio stated the decision was taken “in accordance with U.S. law” to hold the Palestinian Authority and the PLO accountable for pursuing unilateral recognition of statehood and for “undermining the prospects for peace.”
The State Department highlighted that the broader visa suspension is “a concrete step in compliance with U.S. law and our national security,” though officials did not specify the immediate trigger for the policy. The move follows declarations by France, Canada, and the United Kingdom that they intend to recognize a Palestinian state in September, a step strongly opposed by Israel and American officials.
Former U.S. consular and immigration officials said the sweeping use of Section 221(g), typically reserved for individual case reviews, amounted to an across-the-board refusal. Hala Rharrit, a former State Department Arabic-language spokeswoman who resigned in 2024, described the measure as “an open-ended refusal.” Kerry Doyle, who led Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s legal office during the Biden administration, argued the government should be more transparent about whether the decision reflects national security concerns or political considerations.
The announcement builds on narrower steps taken in recent weeks. On August 16, the State Department paused visas for Palestinians from Gaza, a pathway often used for medical treatment. Days later, Rubio noted Palestinian officials would be barred from attending the General Assembly, including Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and roughly 80 others. Abbas’s office called the move “astonishing” and urged Washington to reverse it.
The United States has remained Israel’s primary backer throughout the nearly two-year war in Gaza following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, terror attack that killed over 1,200 Israelis and left more than 250 taken hostage. Israeli leaders have warned that international recognition of Palestinian statehood without direct negotiations would reward terrorism.
According to the Migration Policy Institute, more than 9,000 Palestinians holding travel documents entered the United States on visitor visas in the 2024 fiscal year. Communities of Palestinian descent are concentrated in U.S. cities including Chicago, Illinois; Paterson, New Jersey; and Anaheim, California.
Lafi Adeeb, mayor of the West Bank town of Turmus Ayya, emphasized that the new restrictions would affect many with family ties to the United States. “It feels like Palestinians are always treated in an unjust way,” he added.
The administration’s order, combined with ongoing sanctions on the Palestinian Authority announced in July, signals a broader strategy to pressure Palestinian leaders while aligning with Israel’s opposition to unilateral statehood recognition.
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