Donald Trump’s administration is facing backlash after unveiling a new refugee policy that sets the lowest admission cap in U.S. history. According to reports from the Associated Press, the White House has announced that only 7,500 refugees will be allowed into the country in 2026, and most of those slots will reportedly be reserved for white South Africans.
The administration says this is based on “humanitarian and national interest concerns.” Officials confirmed that “persecuted minorities from South Africa” will receive priority consideration, specifically referencing white Afrikaner farmers.
The previous administration had set the cap at 125,000 refugees per year. This decision redefines persecution through a “racial lens,” said Amnesty International in a statement.
The International Rescue Committee spoke out, sharing that they are “deeply disappointed by the presidential determination,” which the agency says “sets the lowest ever resettlement cap in the history of the US Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP).
“The IRC urges the administration to reassess and reconsider this decision, particularly in light of record levels of global displacement, with over 42 million refugees forced from their homes by conflict and persecution,” they added.
South Africa’s government quickly responded, rejecting the idea that white farmers are victims of government-sponsored discrimination. Officials in Pretoria called Trump’s policy “offensive” and “deeply misleading,” arguing that it distorts the truth for political gain.
Congressional leaders are also weighing in. Democratic lawmakers described the decision as “inhumane” and “un-American,” while several Republican officials defended the move as a matter of national security and cultural preservation.
Refugees from regions like Afghanistan, Sudan, Haiti, and Gaza may now face indefinite delays or denials under the new quota system. This policy also raises serious legal questions. The Refugee Act of 1980 prohibits discrimination based on race, religion, or national origin in the refugee admission process. Civil rights attorneys are already discussing potential lawsuits challenging the administration’s decision.
