US suspends visas for Gazans after far-right influencer posts
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Far-right activist Laura Loomer put up furious social media posts about wounded Palestinians from Gaza seeking medical treatment in the US.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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- US halts visitor visas for Gazans after a far-right influencer complained about medical treatment visas for Palestinians, prompting a "full and thorough review" by the State Department.
- The decision, praised by some Republicans following Ms. Loomer's posts alleging links to Hamas, was condemned by groups like CAIR, which cited "intentional cruelty."
- Palestine Children's Relief Fund warned the halt would deny crucial medical care to Gaza's children, impacting their 30-year mission of providing lifesaving treatment.
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WASHINGTON – The US government said on Aug 16 it is suspending visitor visas for Gazans after a far-right influencer with the ear of President Donald Trump complained that wounded Palestinians had been allowed to seek medical treatment in the United States.
The announcement came one day after a series of furious social media posts by Ms Laura Loomer, who is known for promoting racist conspiracy theories and claiming that the 9/11 terrorist attacks were an inside job.
“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 State Department, which is led by Mr Marco Rubio, wrote on X.
In a series of posts on X on Aug 15, Ms Loomer called on the State Department to stop giving visas to Palestinians from Gaza who she said were “pro-HAMAS” and “affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood and funded by Qatar”, without providing evidence.
Ms Loomer’s target was the US-based charity Heal Palestine, which said last week it had helped 11 critically wounded Gazan children – as well as their caregivers and siblings – arrive safely in the US for medical treatment.
It was “the largest single medical evacuation of injured children from Gaza to the US”, the charity said on its website.
“Truly unacceptable,” Ms Loomer wrote in another X post.
“Someone needs to be fired at @StateDept when @marcorubio figures out who approved the visas.”
Ms Loomer said she had spoken to the staff of Republican Senator Tom Cotton, who chairs the Senate intelligence committee, adding that they were “also looking into how these GAZANS got visas to come into the US”.
Republican Congressman Randy Fine explicitly commended Ms Loomer after the visa change was announced, in a sign of her sway over some US policy.
“Massive credit needs to be given to @LauraLoomer for uncovering this and making me and other officials aware. Well done, Laura,” he wrote on X.
In July, Ms Loomer took aim at a job offer made to a highly qualified Biden-era official for a prestigious position at the West Point military academy.
The Pentagon rescinded the offer one day later.
Mr Trump also fired the head of the highly sensitive National Security Agency, Mr Timothy Haugh, and his deputy, Ms Wendy Noble, in April at the apparent urging of Ms Loomer,
