The Trump administration has moved to suspend visa approvals for nearly all Palestinians, broadening and superseding a narrower State Department directive issued in August that had applied only to residents of Gaza. The new order extends the restriction to all Palestinian passport holders, including those living under the control of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.
While the policy does not revoke visas already issued, nor does it apply to those with dual citizenship who apply for U.S. entry using a non-Palestinian passport, its scope marks a significant escalation. It will bar travel to the United States by Palestinian passport holders, across a broad range of categories, including business, tourism, students, professors, and even cases where individuals seek entry for American medical treatment.
The internal message, sent to U.S. embassies and consulates from the State Department headquarters in Washington, stated that the directive was “to ensure that such applications have undergone necessary vetting and screening protocols to ensure the applicant’s identity and eligibility for a visa under U.S. law,” according to the Wall Street Journal.
When the State Department was asked about its new policy, it said that the Trump administration “is taking concrete steps in compliance with U.S. law and our national security.” Their press office added that “Every visa decision is a national security decision, and the State Department is vetting and adjudicating visa decisions for [Palestinian Authority] passport holders accordingly."
In August, the State Department announced that it was suspending all visitor visas for individuals from Gaza, so it could conduct “a full and thorough” review of its security screening procedures and vetting processes for applicants from the region.
Last week, the State Department said that Marco Rubio revoked visas from dozens of Palestinian officials, including Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, ahead of the U.N. General Assembly, barring them from attending.
The Palestinian Authority and Palestine Liberation Organization pay terrorists to kill civilians, including Americans in Israel.
— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) August 29, 2025
The terrorists who run this pay-for-slay scheme have no business setting foot in the United States. https://t.co/PCDq8u5l77