The Trump administration has made a significant policy shift by restricting the number of refugees allowed into the United States to just 7,500 per year. This decision, primarily affecting White South Africans, marks a dramatic decrease from previous years when the country accepted hundreds of thousands of individuals fleeing war and persecution from various regions around the globe. The announcement was officially published on Thursday in a notice on the Federal Register.
In stark contrast to the previous year's ceiling of 125,000 set under Democratic President Joe Biden, this new cap represents a substantial reduction in humanitarian admissions. The administration has not provided specific reasons for this decision, but it reflects a broader trend of tightening immigration policies. The Associated Press had previously reported that the administration was contemplating admitting as few as 7,500 refugees, primarily from South Africa.
The memo released by the administration stated that the admission of these 7,500 refugees during the 2026 fiscal year is “justified by humanitarian concerns or is otherwise in the national interest.” This statement raises questions about the criteria used to determine who qualifies for refugee status under the new guidelines.
This drastic reduction in the refugee cap is seen as another setback for a program that has historically received bipartisan support. The refugee admissions program faced a severe blow when President Donald Trump suspended it on his first day in office. Since then, the number of refugees entering the United States has dwindled to a mere trickle, with the majority being White South Africans.
Some refugees have been allowed entry due to ongoing legal challenges. These cases involve refugees who were overseas and in the process of resettling in the U.S. when the program was suspended. Furthermore, the administration announced a specific initiative in February aimed at providing support for Afrikaners, claiming that White South African farmers face discrimination and violence in their home country. However, the South African government has strongly denied these allegations.
The ramifications of these changes are being felt across the country, particularly among organizations dedicated to assisting the resettlement of newly arrived refugees. Many of these groups have been forced to lay off staff due to the dramatic decline in arrivals under the longstanding refugee program. As the numbers continue to fall, the future of humanitarian resettlement in the U.S. remains uncertain.
