The Trump Administration has suspended nearly all types of nonimmigrant visas for Palestinian passport holders, U.S. officials told the New York Times.
The blanket suspension marks an escalation from earlier restrictions on Palestinians seeking to enter the U.S. The policy, issued in an Aug. 18 cable from the State Department to all U.S. embassies and consulates, temporarily suspends visas for medical treatment, university studies, visits to friends or relatives, and business, according to the Times. It is not clear how long the suspension will remain in place.
“While the Department has determined that the Palestinian Authority (PA) is a competent authority for passport issuing purposes … the United States does NOT recognize the PA as a ‘foreign government,’” the cable said, according to CNN.
Here’s what to know about the new measure.
Policy expands U.S. visa curbs on Palestinians
The internal message reportedly instructed embassies and consulates to deny nonimmigrant visas to “all otherwise eligible Palestinian Authority passport holders.” The guidance also applies to Palestinian passport holders applying for diplomatic or official visas, the cable reportedly said.
The cable reportedly instructs officials to invoke section 221-G of the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act in refusing the visas, which requires U.S. officials to conduct a further review of the applicant. The policy does not affect people with dual nationalities who apply for a visa using a different passport.
The State Department began revoking and denying the visas of Palestinian officials last week ahead of the United Nations General Assembly this month. Earlier in August, the U.S. also said it would stop issuing visitor visas to Palestinians from Gaza, including those seeking humanitarian and medical treatment.
Palestinian passport holders—whether from Gaza, the Israeli-occupied West Bank, or elsewhere—will be impacted by the new measures. Palestinian Authority passports have been issued by the Palestinian Ministry of Interior, subject to Israeli approval, since 1995. It’s unclear how many people hold Palestinian passports today.
Measures come as international condemnation of Israel grows
The directive comes as a growing number of countries have condemned Israel’s ongoing military bombardment of Gaza and what several humanitarian organizations have described as a genocide.
The nearly two-year-long Israel-Hamas war has killed more than 60,000 Palestinians and nearly 2,000 Israelis (including those killed in the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel), according to Gaza’s Health Ministry and Israeli authorities. In the absence of independent monitoring on the ground, Gaza’s Health Ministry is the primary source for casualty data relied upon by humanitarian groups, journalists, and international bodies. Its figures do not differentiate between civilians and combatants and cannot be independently verified by TIME. Data from the Israel Defense Forces indicates a Palestinian civilian death rate of 83%. The figure for Israeli casualties includes both civilians and combatants.
Several U.S. allies have criticized Israel over its killing of aid seekers, humanitarian workers, and journalists, as well as its blockade of humanitarian aid and forced displacement of Palestinians. Canada, France, and the U.K., said in July that they will recognize a Palestinian state at the upcoming U.N. General Assembly—with more countries following suit—prompting condemnations from Israel and the U.S., Israel’s biggest ally.
The Trump Administration has also cracked down on pro-Palestinian activism across the U.S., including introducing new immigration and citizenship restrictions that include screening for “anti-Americanism” and targeting pro-Palestinian student activists for immigration action, which critics say has chilled free speech.
“Every visa decision is a national security decision, and the State Department is vetting and adjudicating visa decisions for PA passport holders accordingly,” a State Department spokesperson told CNN. But not everyone accepts that pretense.
“Are there true national security concerns?” Kerry Doyle, former lead attorney for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement under the Biden Administration, questioned to the Times. “Or is it politically based to support the position of Israel and/or to avoid uncomfortable issues being raised when folks get here if they speak out about the issues over the war?”
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