The Trump administration has announced a historic reduction in the number of refugees the United States will accept over the next year — capping admissions at just 7,500, the lowest in modern American history.
According to an official notice published on Thursday, the limited slots will primarily favor white South Africans, a decision that has already triggered global outrage and accusations of racial bias. The move marks a sharp departure from the 125,000 annual refugee limit previously set under former President Joe Biden.
While no explicit justification was provided, the administration cited “humanitarian concerns” and “national interest” as reasons for the drastic cut. Earlier this year, President Trump had suspended the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), arguing that the United States needed to prioritize national security, resource management, and the protection of American citizens.
This announcement mirrors a similar decision during Trump’s first term in 2020, when refugee intake was reduced to 15,000.
The Federal Register statement explained that the new allocation would be “primarily reserved for Afrikaner South Africans and others facing discrimination in their home countries.” In February, Trump announced the suspension of aid to South Africa, offering resettlement opportunities to Afrikaners — descendants of Dutch and French settlers — whom he described as “victims of persecution.”
Tensions between Washington and Pretoria escalated when South African Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool accused Trump of promoting “white victimhood” and “racial supremacism.” He was later expelled from the U.S.
During a May meeting in the Oval Office, President Trump confronted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, claiming that white farmers were being “killed and persecuted.” A video shown during the meeting purported to show graves of murdered farmers, but later investigations revealed the footage was from a 2020 protest and not evidence of mass killings.
Despite the diplomatic rift, the U.S. has since granted asylum to 60 Afrikaners, fueling criticism from international human rights organizations.
Refugee advocacy groups have condemned the decision, arguing that it undermines America’s commitment to protecting vulnerable populations worldwide.
“This doesn’t just lower refugee numbers — it lowers our moral standing,” said Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, CEO of Global Refuge. “Prioritizing one group, while shutting the door on others fleeing war and persecution, betrays the purpose of refugee protection.”
Refugees International echoed the sentiment, calling the move “a mockery of humanitarian values,” emphasizing that Afrikaners “cannot credibly claim systematic persecution.”
President Ramaphosa has yet to issue an official statement but has previously expressed hope that Washington would “listen to the truth from South Africans themselves.”
The announcement comes amid ongoing controversy in South Africa over a land expropriation bill allowing the government to seize privately-owned land without compensation. Despite concerns about rural violence, official statistics show that out of 7,000 murders recorded between October and December 2024, only 12 were linked to farm attacks — with just one victim identified as a farmer.
Trump’s policy shift signals a broader tightening of U.S. immigration under his administration, one that critics argue is rooted more in ideology than humanitarianism.