Donald Trump slashes refugee admissions by 94%, with special treatment to one group

The Trump administration will drastically reduce refugee admissions for the 2026 fiscal year, which runs from October 1, 2025, to September 30, 2026.

According to a notice published in the Federal Register, President Donald Trump has authorized the admission of up to 7,500 refugees – a 94% cut from the previous cap of 125,000. Along with this reduction, the administration announced that certain groups will receive priority.

“The slots will be allocated primarily to Afrikaners from South Africa and to other victims of illegal or unjust discrimination in their home countries,” the notice states.

Afrikaners emerge as a priority group under Trump

In May, the federal government chartered a flight carrying 59 white Afrikaners from South Africa to Washington Dulles International Airport. The U.S. granted them refugee status along with work rights and access to social benefits.

The administration expanded support for this group after South Africa enacted a new law allowing the government to confiscate property from ethnic minorities without compensation. Trump and other prominent right-wing figures have promoted the idea that such reforms amount to systematic discrimination against white Afrikaners.

Afrikaners make up roughly 7.3% of South Africa’s population. The reforms, aimed at addressing the deep inequalities created by apartheid, have become a key talking point in Trump’s foreign policy narrative.

According to Action for Southern Africa (ACTSA), more than two decades after apartheid ended, white Afrikaners still own around 72% of the country’s farmland. The organization notes that the South African government’s reforms seek to “unlock the potential of a dynamic, growing, and job-creating agricultural sector.” Measures include land expropriation and agrarian reform where it serves the public interest.

However, many white landowners have condemned these efforts, accusing the government of “white genocide” and of carrying out systematic discrimination.

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