Biden admin considering giving some Palestinians refugee status
- The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program could move some Palestinians out of Gaza
- Top Biden officials have discussed resettling some Palestinians
- Family members of U.S. citizens and permanent residents could be considered
The Biden administration is considering allowing some Palestinians to come live in the United States as refugees.
CBS News reported Tuesday that senior officials across several federal agencies have discussed how to resettle Palestinians from Gaza, potentially using the United States Refugee Admissions Program.
The individuals chosen would have to have immediate family members who are American citizens or permanent residents.
They would have to pass a series of eligibility, medical and security screenings, but would then be able to obtain resettlement benefits, including housing assistance and a pathway to American citizenship.
If the administration goes ahead with this plan it would mark a major change in U.S. policy.
President Joe Biden departs for Wilmington, Delaware on Tuesday. Top Biden administration officials have discussed bringing Palestinians with American ties into the U.S. via the United States Refugee Admissions Program
Tents housing displaced Palestinians are pictured behind barbed wire in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday. Palestinians with U.S. ties would be vetted but then have access to housing benefits and a path to American citizenship
The White House, Department of Homeland Security and State Department did not immediately respond to CBS’ request for comment.
Since its inception in 1980 the United States Refugee Admissions Program hasn’t resettled large numbers of Palestinians.
In the last 10 years, while the U.S. has allowed 400,000 refugees to come in, fewer than 600 were Palestinian.
Last year, just 56 Palestinians were brought in through this program, with more than 60,000 refugees being offered resettlement benefits, State Department numbers show.
The move would get Palestinian civilians with connections to the United States out of harm’s way, as Israel continues to bombard Gaza to root out Hamas, after the terror group killed more than 1,200 and took hundreds hostage on October 7.
The move could give Biden a political boost with members of his own party, as left-leaning Democrats have pushed the president to do more to stop Israel’s killing of Palestinian civilians.
The Israel-Hamas war has dramatically fractured the Democratic Party – and the large-scale student protests have prompted concerns about whether Biden will lose support among young voters unless he does more to help the Palestinians’ plight.
An elderly Palestinian woman sits outside her makeshift home in Rafah in the southern part of the Gaza Strip on Tuesday. Palestinians with strong U.S. ties may soon be able to apply for resettlement in the states
Light illuminates the minarets of al-Taiba mosque at sunset before the tents of displaced Palestinians at a camp in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday
Republicans, however, will likely use the move to criticize Biden, who they already hit on immigration and for having an ‘open borders’ policy.
The Biden administration would also need to get Egypt’s cooperation for the plan to work.
Egypt, so far, hasn’t allowed large numbers of Palestinians to cross over its border.
More aid trucks have been allowed into Gaza in recent days but experts have warned that the threat of a famine in the area is imminent.
Biden pushed Israel to open more aid routes after the killing of seven workers with World Central Kitchen, the group started by Spanish-American celebrity chef Jose Andres.
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