As the Israel-Hamas War continues, the Biden Administration has considered allowing the entrance of Palestinian refugees into the United States, a move met with hostility by Republicans. Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) has taken it a step further by introducing a bill imposing a moratorium on immigration from the Palestinian Authority for two years.
Named the Guarding American Zones Against Palestinian Immigration Act, the bill would deny visas and entry at the border to anyone with a passport from the region.
Rep. Gaetz noted that Jordan and Egypt have repeatedly refused to take in refugees themselves despite being much closer.
"If Palestinian refugees are too dangerous for our allies in the region, they are certainly too dangerous for the United States. The Biden administration's border policies have already exacerbated national security concerns across our country," said the Florida Congressman.
As a result, Rep. Gaetz said prohibiting Palestinians from entering the country was "common sense."
"A two-year moratorium on all immigration from Palestine is a common-sense measure to ensure the safety and security of the American people. We must prioritize the protection of our nation and its citizens above all else," he added.
At the beginning of May, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) wrote a letter to President Biden demanding the rationale for allowing refugees from the Israel-Hamas conflict to enter the country, repeating concerns expressed by Gaetz.
"These proposals ignore that Hamas remains in control of large parts of the Gaza Strip, including the border city of Rafah, where as many as 1.4 million Gazans reside today. U.S. and allied officials have very little access to Gazans living in the area, making it nearly impossible to conduct thorough vetting before admitting them into our country," Sen. Rubio noted.
Moreover, the Florida Senator noted that Customs and Border Patrol caught 169 people on the terror watchlist attempting to cross the southern border in Fiscal Year 2023, making the consideration more suspect.
"Given your administration's abject failure at countering the flow of potential terrorists at our border, how can Congress trust your administration to adequately vet the refugees crossing the Egypt-Gaza border, located nearly 6,000 miles away from Washington, D.C.?" Rubio inquired.
