Biden takes measures against deportation of Palestinians amid Israeli onslaught in Gaza
Washington DC - President Joe Biden has put an 18-month pause on the deportation of Palestinians as he faces growing anger over his support for Israel's unrelentingly brutal assault on Gaza.
Joe Biden signed an order saying the Palestinians should not be deported "in light of the ongoing conflict and humanitarian needs on the ground" in the Gaza Strip, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said.
The New York Times reported that the reprieve would apply to around 6,000 Palestinians under a law that allows immigrants to stay in the US if their homelands are in crisis.
Biden's memorandum said that after Hamas's October 7 attacks on Israel and Israel's military offensive in Gaza, humanitarian conditions there and in other Palestinian territories had "significantly deteriorated."
"While I remain focused on improving the humanitarian situation, many civilians remain in danger," he said. "Therefore, I am directing the deferral of removal of certain Palestinians who are present in the US."
The US recently led the way for other Western countries by cutting off funding for UNRWA, the UN refugee agency critical for delivering aid in Gaza, after Israel made unproven allegations against its staff.
What's more, at least one Palestinian recently sent from the US back to Gaza was killed since Israel launched its war following the October 7 Hamas attacks.
According to the Huffington Post, 31-year-old Motaz Alhelou was deported in July 2023 after years of fighting for asylum.
Anger at Biden's backing for Israel reaches fever pitch
The move comes as the White House unsuccessfully tries to defuse growing anger among voters over Israel's war on Palestinians, with growing signs that Biden's chances of winning a second term in November's election are in danger.
Top aides recently visited the battleground state of Michigan, which has a large Muslim population, to reach out to community leaders, but the efforts were seen as electioneering and largely rebuffed.
Most Democrats disapprove of the administration's handling of the war, with large majorities of the president's base strongly in favor of a ceasefire, which Biden has so far refused to call for.
Instead – and notwithstanding regular briefings about his unhappiness with Israel's methods – the 81-year-old has rammed through copious amounts of military aid to go with unconditional diplomatic backing at the UN, even as warnings of an impending genocide reach a deafening pitch.
As the Palestinian death toll nears 29,000 – including some US citizens – the only concrete measure taken by Biden so far has been to place sanctions on already-illegal Israeli settlers rampaging in the West Bank.
Cover photo: REUTERS