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The Trump administration has restricted the number of refugees admitted to the United States to &,500.
The AP reports that the refugees will mostly be white South Africans. The move effectively stops America’s traditional role as a haven where those fleeing war and persecution could find refuge.
It marks a major policy shift toward refugees that aligns with the Republican administration’s broader goals of keeping out foreigners whom it deems a risk to the nation’s security or a threat to US jobs. That shift has meant increased immigration enforcement in what’s become a vastly changed landscape in a country long seen as a beacon for mi9grants.
The notice said the admission of the 7,500 refugees during the 2026 budget year, which began on October 1, was “justified by humanitarian concerns or is otherwise in the national interest.”
“Other victims of illegal or unjust discrimination in their respective homelands” will be considered as refugees, according to the notice. The lower cap represents another blow for the long-standing refugee program that until recently enjoyed bipartisan support.
Groups that work to settle refugees said the announcement was an abdication of the country’s historic role in welcoming refugees from around the world.
The President and CEO of Global Refuge, one of the nationwide resettlement agencies said, “The decision doesn’t just lower the refugee admissions ceiling. It lowers our moral standing. To concentrate the vast majority of admissions on one group undermines the program’s purpose as well, as its credibility.”
Presidents have the authority to set the cap on refugee admissions as they see fit, often taking input from the State Department or consulting with refugee resettlement agencies. This cap would set a historic low of refugees admitted to the US since the program’s inception in 1980.
