The Biden administration is thinking about bringing certain Palestinians to the United States as refugees. This would provide a permanent safe place for some of those who are escaping the war-torn Gaza. The information comes from internal documents from the federal government that CBS News obtained.
According to the documents, senior officials from various U.S. government agencies have been talking about different options to help Palestinians from Gaza who have family members in the U.S. become resettled. These family members are either American citizens or permanent residents.
One of the proposals suggests using the United States Refugee Admissions Program, which has been around for decades, to help Palestinians who have fled Gaza and entered Egypt and have connections to the United States.
The documents show that high-ranking U.S. officials have talked about helping more Palestinians leave Gaza and treating them as refugees if they have family members in America. The plans would need to involve working together with Egypt. However, Egypt has not been willing to accept a large number of people from Gaza.
People who pass a series of checks for eligibility, medical conditions, and security would be allowed to fly to the U.S. as refugees. This status gives them permanent residency, benefits for resettlement like help with housing, and a way to become American citizens.
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The plans being discussed by U.S. officials could help some Palestinians who are fleeing the Israel-Hamas war. This war has caused the deaths of over 34,000 people and forced many civilians in Gaza to leave their homes.
A spokesperson from the White House said in a statement to CBS News on Tuesday night that the U.S. has assisted over 1,800 American citizens and their families in leaving Gaza. Many of them have come to the United States. President Biden has instructed us to assist and will continue to assist individuals who are especially vulnerable, such as children with serious health issues and children undergoing cancer treatment. Our goal is to ensure their safety and provide them with care at nearby hospitals in the area.
The statement said that the U.S. strongly opposes any actions that would force Palestinians to move from Gaza or the West Bank, or change the borders of Gaza. The most effective way to move forward is to establish a lasting peace agreement by negotiating a deal involving the release of hostages. This will help bring stability to the situation and create a foundation for a two-state solution.
The Israeli government started a military attack and bombing of Gaza after Hamas carried out a major attack across Israel on October 7th. This attack resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 people, with most of them being civilians. Hamas militants have also kidnapped over 200 people, and many of them are still being held captive.
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CBS News has also contacted the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department to request a comment. The plans to relocate some Palestinians as refugees would represent a change in the long-standing policy and practice of the U.S. government. The U.S. refugee program, which started in 1980, has not resettled many Palestinians.
In the last ten years, the United States has provided a new home for over 400,000 refugees who were escaping violence and war in different parts of the world. Less than 600 people were Palestinian. According to statistics from the State Department, in the fiscal year 2023, the United States allowed 56 Palestinian refugees to enter the country. This number represents only 0.09% of the total number of refugees resettled, which was more than 60,000, during that year.
Many Democrats would probably agree with the decision, but allowing Palestinians to be recognized as refugees could create additional political difficulties for the Biden administration in relation to the Israel-Hamas conflict. The conflict has already caused disagreements within the Democratic Party, led to large protests on college campuses, and created divisions in communities across America.
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