US Suspends Gaza Visitor Visas After Trump-Aligned Influencer’s Outcry

The US government on Saturday said it is suspending visitor visas for Palestinians from Gaza, following pressure from far-right activist Laura Loomer, a close ally of President Donald Trump.

The move came a day after Loomer denounced on X (formerly Twitter) the State Department’s decision to grant temporary medical-humanitarian visas to a group of wounded Gazan children and their families. Loomer accused the applicants—without evidence—of ties to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, and demanded accountability from Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s department.

“All visitor visas for individuals from Gaza are being stopped while we conduct a full and thorough review,” the State Department announced on X. The agency stressed the suspension applies to recent medical evacuations organized by US-based charity HEAL Palestine, which said it had facilitated the arrival of 11 injured children and relatives for treatment—the largest such mission to date.

Republican Congressman Randy Fine praised Loomer for “uncovering” the issue, highlighting her growing influence on Trump-era policymaking. Loomer has previously claimed credit for pushing the administration to fire senior security officials deemed insufficiently loyal to Trump.

The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund condemned the decision as “dangerous and inhumane,” noting it has arranged thousands of similar evacuations over three decades. “Medical evacuations are a lifeline for the children of Gaza who would otherwise face unimaginable suffering or death,” the group said.

Despite holding no formal role, Loomer has increasingly shaped US government actions, from derailing a Pentagon job offer to allegedly influencing Trump’s April decision to oust the head of the National Security Agency.