Rubio stands by U.S. State Department’s Gaza Visa Freeze, citing risk of terror ties oan

OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
2:34 PM – Monday, August 18, 2025

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the State Department’s decision to suspend visitor visas from Gaza on Sunday, citing evidence that a percentage of Gazan applicants and visa holders have ties to Islamist terrorist groups in the region.

The exchange came a day after the State Department announced it would review its procedures for issuing temporary medical-humanitarian visas.

During an interview on CBS News’ “Face the Nation,” host Margaret Brennan asked Rubio how Gazan children seeking medical treatment in the United States would pose a threat to Americans, seemingly suggesting that the GOP administration was being cruel for halting Gaza visitor visas.

Advertisement

The State Department review was reportedly prompted by concerns over security risks, following scrutiny of the process that allows Gazans, including children in need of medical treatment, to enter the United States. Secretary Rubio emphasized that the review aims to ensure that visas are granted safely and appropriately, without compromising national security.

“First of all, it’s not just kids,” Rubio reminded Brennan. “It’s a bunch of adults that are accompanying them.”

“Second, we had outreach from multiple congressional offices asking questions about it, and so we’re going to reevaluate how those visas are being granted,” he continued. “Not just to the children, but how those visas are being granted to the people who are accompanying them and, by the way, to some of the organizations that are facilitating it.”

Rubio also emphasized that “numerous” Congressional offices have already presented evidence showing “that some of the organizations bragging about, and involved in, acquiring these visas have strong links to terrorist groups like Hamas.”

“And so we are not going to be in partnership with groups that are friendly with Hamas. So we need to — we’re going to pause those visas,” pending further review, he added.

Conservative activist Laura Loomer recently posted videos online showing Palestinian children arriving in the U.S. for medical treatment. She argued that the arrivals pose a potential national security threat and accused the visa process of facilitating covert illegal immigration.