The Biden administration is considering welcoming certain Palestinians to the U.S. as refugees as they seek to escape war-torn Gaza amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. Senior officials in various federal U.S. agencies have been discussing potential options to accept Palestinians from Gaza who have immediate family members who are American citizens or permanent U.S. residents. One proposal involves using the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program to bring Palestinians with U.S. connections who have escaped Gaza and entered neighboring Egypt. U.S. officials have also considered welcoming additional Palestinians out of Gaza and processing them as refugees if they have American relatives. This would require coordination with Egypt, which has been hesitant to welcome large numbers of people from Gaza.
Those from Gaza who pass eligibility, medical, and security screenings would qualify to be flown to the U.S. with refugee status, including permanent residency, resettlement benefits, and a path to American citizenship. The number of people eligible is expected to be relatively small, but the proposed plans could offer a lifeline to Palestinians seeking to escape the conflict. According to the Hamas-run government’s Health Ministry, more than 34,000 people have died, over 77,000 have been injured, and hundreds of thousands of civilians have been displaced in Gaza.
The proposals come after President Biden issued a memorandum on Deferred Enforced Departure in February for certain Palestinians already in the U.S. The plan to bring certain Palestinians to the U.S. as refugees would represent a change in longstanding U.S. government policy and practice, as the U.S. refugee program has not resettled Palestinians in large numbers since its inception in 1980. In the past decade, the U.S. has resettled more than 400,000 refugees from around the world, but less than 600 were Palestinian. Republican lawmakers may criticize the administration’s plans to welcome Palestinian refugees, potentially making it a central issue in the November elections alongside the U.S.-Mexico border crisis.
Since the conflict began, the U.S. has helped more than 1,800 American citizens and their families leave Gaza, with many coming to the United States. The U.S. has also assisted particularly vulnerable individuals, such as children with serious health problems, to receive care in nearby hospitals in the region. The United States remains the largest contributor of humanitarian aid to Gaza, working to address the dire conditions of the area. The Biden administration is pressing for more aid to reach those in need and has been clear in rejecting actions that could lead to the forced relocation of Palestinians from Gaza or the West Bank.
The Biden administration has significantly increased refugee resettlement in recent years, aiming to accept up to 125,000 refugees in fiscal year 2024. This marks a stark contrast to the record-low refugee resettlements during the Trump administration. With the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and the potential for a small number of Palestinian refugees to be welcomed to the U.S., the administration may face criticism from Republican lawmakers who have concerns about antisemitism and national security risks. The administration’s plans to potentially welcome Palestinian refugees would require applicants to prove persecution based on factors such as nationality, religion, or political views in order to qualify as refugees entering the U.S.
