HB3724, titled the “No Amnesty for Hamas Sympathizers Act,” would bar a range of immigration benefits and protections for noncitizens who habitually resided in the Palestinian-administered territories of Judea and Samaria or Gaza, or who hold Palestinian Authority travel documents. The bill would nullify existing executive actions providing Deferred Enforced Departure for certain Palestinians and would prohibit the use of federal funds to provide that status going forward.
The bill also amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to make such individuals ineligible for Temporary Protected Status, inadmissible to the United States, deportable, and ineligible for parole, asylum, and refugee admission. It further provides that certain refugees whose status is adjusted to lawful permanent residence and who later commit a crime of violence would have that status rescinded. In practical terms, the bill would create a categorical immigration bar tied to residence in, or documentation from, the Palestinian Authority-controlled territories.
Impact
If enacted, HB3724 would significantly narrow federal immigration discretion by adding new statutory exclusions to asylum, refugee, parole, TPS, admissibility, and deportability provisions in the Immigration and Nationality Act. It would also override the Biden administration’s Deferred Enforced Departure policy for certain Palestinians and prevent future funding for that protection. The bill would directly affect Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank/Judea and Samaria, as well as any noncitizens holding Palestinian Authority-issued travel documents, and would likely alter how DHS, USCIS, and immigration courts process related cases.
Sentiment
Based on the bill’s title and structure, the measure appears strongly opposed to immigration relief for the covered population and framed by its sponsors as a national security and anti-terrorism measure. There is no recorded committee debate or vote history in the provided materials, so no formal bipartisan support or opposition can be measured from the record here. The introduction by multiple Republican members suggests support among the sponsors for a restrictive immigration approach.
Contention
The main point of contention is the bill’s categorical treatment of people who lived in Palestinian-administered territories or hold Palestinian Authority documents, regardless of individual circumstances. Critics would likely argue that the measure is overbroad, discriminatory, and inconsistent with existing asylum and refugee protections, while supporters would likely argue that it is necessary to prevent entry or continued presence of individuals associated with Hamas or instability in the region. The bill’s use of the terms “Judea and Samaria” and “Gaza,” its linkage to the Palestinian Authority, and its broad elimination of humanitarian immigration pathways are likely to be the most disputed elements.
Prohibits public institution of higher education from entering into certain partnerships with institutions of higher education located in Palestinian territories.
Directs State Treasurer to debit from State operating aid allocated to public research university amount equal to costs incurred by institution in implementing agreements reached with certain student protestors.
Directs State Treasurer to debit from State operating aid allocated to public research university amount equal to costs incurred by institution in implementing agreements reached with certain student protestors.
COI Elimination Act This bill limits U.S. contributions to the United Nations pertaining to the U.N. Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel. Current law imposes a cap on the annual U.S. contribution to the U.N. budget. The bill lowers that cap by 25% of the amount budgeted for the commission. The bill also states that it shall be U.S. policy to seek the abolition of the commission and combat systemic anti-Israel bias in international bodies.