The Trump administration has announced a drastic cut to the U.S. refugee limit, setting the ceiling at just 7,500 for the 2026 fiscal year, the lowest in American history. The figure marks a sharp decline from the 125,000 admissions allowed under President Biden.
According to a notice published Thursday in the Federal Register, most of the limited refugee spots will reportedly go to white South Africans. A government memo said the restriction was “justified by humanitarian concerns or is otherwise in the national interest,” without offering further explanation. The Associated Press earlier reported that the administration had been considering the same figure.
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The move has drawn widespread condemnation from rights organizations. The International Refugee Assistance Project described it as proof that “the Trump administration values politics over protection,” while Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, CEO of Global Refuge, said the decision “lowers our moral standing” and “undermines the credibility” of the refugee program.
In February, President Trump signed an executive order cutting U.S. aid to South Africa, alleging racial discrimination against white Afrikaners, a claim the South African government has rejected as false.
The new U.S. refugee limit continues Trump’s history of restricting refugee admissions, following previous record lows of 18,000 in 2020 and 15,000 in 2021.