WASHINGTON (AFP) – President Joe Biden has shielded Palestinians in the United States from deportation for 18 months, the White House said Wednesday, as he faces growing anger over his support for Israel's Gaza offensive in an election year.
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 United States if their homelands are in crisis.
The move comes as the White House tries to defuse growing anger among voters over Israel's war in Gaza, fearing it could hurt Biden's chances of winning a second term in November's election.
Top Biden aides recently visited the battleground state of Michigan, which has a large Muslim population, to reach out to community leaders about their concerns over the fighting.
But it also comes as the Democratic president faces a growing fight over immigration, especially the large numbers of people illegally crossing the southern border from Mexico into the United States.
Immigration has prompted a stand-off with House Republicans who are blocking a multi-billion-dollar aid package for Israel and Ukraine, saying that it should also include border security measures.
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 United States."