Democratic lawmakers urge protected status for Palestinians in US

More than a 100 Democrats called on US President Joe Biden to allow Palestinian tourists, students and workers in the US to remain amid the conflict in the Gaza Strip and “unrest in the occupied West Bank.

“In light of ongoing armed conflict, Palestinians already in the United States should not be forced to return to the Palestinian territories, consistent with President Biden’s stated commitment to protecting Palestinian civilians,” the lawmakers wrote.

Led by Senator Dick Durbin, the letter asks the US president to grant residents of Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories deportation relief and access to work permits through programs for people whose homelands are affected by conflicts.

The humanitarian protections would only be available to Palestinians already in the U.S., not those in the war zone or refugees in other countries.