Biden administration weighing measures to help Palestinians bring family from region
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is considering measures to help Palestinians living in the United States who want to bring family from the war-torn region.
“We are continually evaluating policy proposals to further support Palestinians who are family members of U.S. citizens and may want to come to the United States,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday.
Jean-Pierre said discussions were underway but had no further details on how the procedures might work. The new measures would help those who are legal permanent residents or U.S. citizens and have family in the region.
It is difficult for anyone to leave the Gaza Strip at the moment as the war between Israel and Hamas continues. More than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed, about two-thirds of them children and women, according to local health officials.
The discussion comes as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted Israel will move forward with a major military operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, while the Biden administration has warned such a move would be catastrophic.
An estimated 1.5 million people – more than half of Gaza – have sought refuge in Rafah as the war shows no signs of ending.
If the US were to move forward with any measure to help the families of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, it would likely require coordination with Egypt. Early in the war, hundreds of Americans – as well as other foreigners trapped in Gaza – were able to escape through the Rafah crossing with Egypt, which opened the crossing with some trepidation.
Both Egypt and other Arab countries are concerned that an Israeli offensive could lead to a relocation of Palestinians to Sinai, a scenario the country considers unacceptable.
For Palestinians already in the US, the Biden administration has already agreed to what is known as “deferred forced departure,” an authority used at the president’s discretion.
The directive that Biden signed last month effectively allows Palestinian immigrants who would otherwise have to leave the United States to remain without the threat of deportation for at least 18 months.
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Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani contributed to this report.