Trump Dramatically Reduces Refugee Numbers, Prioritizes Specific Group
The Trump administration announced Thursday a major overhaul of U.S. refugee policy — dramatically reducing annual admissions and prioritizing white South Africans who officials say face systemic discrimination in their home country.
According to new guidance published in the Federal Register, the administration will cap refugee admissions at 7,500 for the 2026 fiscal year — a massive drop from the roughly 100,000 refugees accepted annually under Joe Biden. The directive also states that Afrikaners and others persecuted for “illegal or unjust discrimination” will receive priority consideration.
This marks the lowest refugee intake in over half a century, far below the levels seen during the 1970s and even below the reduced totals during Trump’s first term, when at least 11,000 refugees were admitted each year.
The White House said the new approach will ensure refugee resettlement is handled “in a manner that serves the national interest, promotes efficient use of taxpayer dollars, protects the integrity of the United States immigration system, and supports refugees in achieving early economic self-sufficiency and assimilation into American society.”
Major Bureaucratic Shift
In a move likely to reshape refugee management for years to come, oversight of resettlement contracts will shift from the State Department to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) under the Department of Health and Human Services. The change follows the July dissolution of the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, which had long coordinated global refugee operations through U.S. embassies.
The ORR, which previously focused on migrant shelters and unaccompanied minors, will now take full control of partnering with public and private organizations to place and support refugees in the U.S.
The administration said no refugees will be admitted until required consultations with Congress are complete — a process delayed, officials say, by Democrats who forced a temporary government shutdown.
The Federal Register notice also made clear that the Trump administration seeks to “end the abuse of the refugee program” that proliferated under President Biden.
The sharp reduction in refugee admissions aligns with Trump’s broader push to restore border security and limit mass migration. Earlier this year, the administration ended multiple Biden-era parole programs that had granted temporary legal status to migrants from Afghanistan, Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela — and officials have indicated that similar programs for El Salvador and Honduras may soon be phased out.
The move to prioritize white South Africans — specifically Afrikaner farmers and their families — has already drawn criticism from Democrats and the corporate media. Outlets like MSNBC accused Trump of making refugee policy about race after the U.S. admitted 59 South Africans earlier this year on grounds of racial persecution.
However, President Trump defended his decision, pointing to what he called a “genocide that’s taking place” in South Africa.
“It’s a genocide that’s taking place,” Trump told reporters in February, referring to targeted violence and discrimination against white farmers.
Critics in the media claimed Trump lacked evidence for his statement, but prominent figures — including Elon Musk, who was born in South Africa — have backed the president’s claims. Musk cited a viral video from a far-left political rally in which members of South Africa’s Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) sang “Kill the Boer, the farmer” — a song long condemned as hate speech.
“Boer” is a term that refers to white Afrikaners, descendants of early Dutch settlers in South Africa.
The administration’s revised refugee policy reflects a shift toward merit-based humanitarian admissions, focusing on those who can assimilate successfully and demonstrate credible persecution claims — rather than broad, open-ended refugee designations used under prior administrations.
Supporters say the change puts American interests first, ensuring that humanitarian aid is targeted, cost-effective, and consistent with national security goals.
Meanwhile, Democrats and left-wing media outlets have decried the move as “discriminatory” — a familiar charge against Trump’s immigration reforms that prioritize national sovereignty and common sense over globalist quotas.