Live coverage transcript from December 19th by Reporter/Anchor Brandon Ison for WBBM Newsradio:

A new lawsuit claims that the State Department's failure to promptly evacuate Palestinian-Americans from Gaza violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution. The lawsuit claims that the Department of State has failed to evacuate American citizens, legal residents, and the family members of Americans trapped in Gaza under Israeli bombardment—in a condition which many have claimed fits the criteria for genocide.

The plaintiffs in the suit include those still trapped in Gaza and some who have made it back to the U.S.

"I'm here today because I need the government of the United States to help my family and all U.S. citizens and their families to be safe," [said Mariam Alrayes]

At the Council on American Islamic Relations office in downtown Chicago, Mariam Alrayes tells reporters that she escaped Gaza late last year but left behind her father mother, and two siblings.

"With every bombing that happens, I have to call to make sure they are safe".

While the State Department has acted promptly to evacuate similarly situated U.S. citizens of different backgrounds in other conflict zones, including Israeli-Americans after the Hamas attack on October 7th of last year which sparked Israel's retaliation. The claim of discrimination is now being made when it comes to an alleged failure to provide the same assistance to Palestinian Americans.