New Bill Systematically Bars Palestinians from Asylum, TPS, and Parole, Nullifying Prior Protections

The bill, titled the “No Amnesty for Hamas Sympathizers Act,” is a sweeping piece of legislation that fundamentally changes U.S. immigration policy for individuals connected to the Palestinian-administered territories of Judea and Samaria or Gaza. Its main purpose is to systematically eliminate nearly every major pathway for legal entry, temporary protection, or permanent status adjustment for people who habitually resided in those territories or who hold travel documents issued by the Palestinian Authority (PA). This isn’t a small tweak; it’s a categorical exclusion.

The End of Deferred Protection

For those currently in the U.S. who benefited from recent executive action, the clock is running out. Section 2 of the bill explicitly voids the Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) status granted to certain Palestinians by the President in February 2024, along with the subsequent work authorization notice from April 2024. If you were one of the people relying on that DED status to legally live and work here temporarily, this bill pulls the rug out from under you. It also blocks the use of any federal funds to grant DED status to anyone from those territories or holding a PA document in the future. This means a return to deportability for anyone whose only protection was DED.

Closing Off All Legal Doors

The bill then moves to close off all other major immigration relief options. If passed, it would create new, specific bars to entry and residency based solely on geography or documentation, regardless of an individual’s personal history or security risk profile.

Temporary Protected Status (TPS): Section 3 bans anyone who habitually lived in Judea and Samaria or Gaza, or holds PA documents, from applying for TPS. TPS is usually granted when a country faces conflict or environmental disaster, making safe return impossible. This bill makes that option unavailable to this group.

Inadmissibility and Deportability: Section 4 makes past residency in those territories or holding a PA document a new ground for both inadmissibility (meaning you can’t enter the U.S.) and deportability (meaning you can be removed if you are already here). This is a massive change, essentially making entire categories of people subject to removal proceedings based on where they lived or the origin of their travel papers.

Asylum and Refugee Status: Under Sections 6 and 7, these residency and documentation requirements become automatic bars to both asylum and refugee status. Normally, asylum is a protection for people fleeing persecution. This bill adds a new clause to the Immigration and Nationality Act that prohibits asylum for people who habitually resided in these territories. For a person fleeing violence in Gaza, for example, these sections would eliminate their legal ability to seek protection in the U.S.

Restrictions on Parole and Permanent Status

Finally, the bill restricts the Secretary of Homeland Security’s ability to grant parole (Section 5), which is often used to allow individuals into the U.S. temporarily for urgent humanitarian reasons. This means no more discretion to allow these individuals entry, even in emergency situations. Section 7 also includes a provision allowing the U.S. government to rescind the lawful permanent resident (LPR) status—a green card—of anyone who habitually lived in those territories or held a PA document, if they later commit a crime of violence. While crimes of violence already lead to deportation for LPRs, this provision specifically targets this population group for status rescission under that condition, adding another layer of vulnerability.