The Trump administration plans to cap refugee admissions at 17,500 for fiscal year 2027, with most available slots designated for South African Afrikaners, according to a State Department notice sent to Congress Tuesday.
Read more Trump Administration Cancels 760,000 Obamacare Enrollments in Fraud Crackdown
The ceiling represents a sharp reduction from the 125,000 annual target established during President Joe Biden’s administration. The new fiscal year begins in October.
The State Department said admissions will “primarily be Afrikaners from South Africa,” continuing an approach the administration adopted after President Donald Trump returned to office. The administration argues Afrikaners face racial discrimination, threats of uncompensated land seizures and policies that disadvantage them in employment, education and business. South Africa’s government disputes that Afrikaners are being persecuted.
The administration expects refugee resettlement under the new ceiling to cost approximately $500 million. The State Department told Congress it anticipates Afrikaner refugees will assimilate while preserving taxpayer resources for U.S. citizens.
Trump initially established a 7,500-person refugee ceiling for fiscal year 2026, with admissions primarily allocated to Afrikaners and others the administration described as victims of discrimination. In May, Trump increased that ceiling to 17,500, citing what he declared an emergency refugee situation in South Africa.
Read more Professional Packing for Homes With Extensive Collections
The administration has sharply curtailed refugee admissions from other countries. Reuters reported that all but three of the nearly 3,000 refugees admitted during the current fiscal year through August were South Africans.
Refugee advocacy organizations have criticized the focus on Afrikaners, arguing that vulnerable people from other countries are being excluded.
The policy comes amid tensions between Washington and Pretoria over South Africa’s racial policies and land reform. South African officials have rejected U.S. allegations of systematic discrimination, saying the country’s policies are intended to address inequalities rooted in apartheid and colonialism.
Read more Leaving the Land Behind: Planning a Long-Distance Move From a Lewisburg-Area Homestead
