Donald Trump is weighing a dramatic cut to U.S. refugee admissions, considering a cap as low as 7,500, according to officials familiar with the internal discussions. Sources say the majority of those slots could be earmarked for white South African farmers, raising alarm from refugee advocates and lawmakers.
The Trump administration has not finalized or officially submitted the proposed cap to Congress, despite a legal deadline passing last week. Meanwhile, thousands of refugees who have cleared security screenings now face uncertainty.
“This would be a monumental shift in U.S. refugee policy, not just in terms of reducing admissions, but also in terms of disproportionately privileging one group over every other,” said Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, CEO of Global Refuge.
The refugee program, once supported by both parties, was frozen on Trump’s first day in office and has remained largely inactive. A new effort aimed at resettling Afrikaner farmers was announced in February, citing concerns about discrimination, which South African officials strongly deny.
“Our concern is that this could turn what has long been a globally responsive humanitarian system into one that overwhelmingly favors a single group,” Vignarajah added.
Mark Hetfield, president of HIAS, noted, “Some 128,000 refugees have currently been approved for resettlement in the United States and are now stuck in limbo.” He questioned how the administration could ignore those who “followed the rules” while pushing white South Africans ahead.
“The consequences are dire,” wrote top Democrats, calling the delays a defiance of refugee law.
