Trump Prioritizes White Afrikaners in Overhauled US Refugee Program

President Donald Trump has overhauled United States refugee policies to prioritize white Afrikaners from South Africa, drastically reducing overall admissions. Between October 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026, the U.S. admitted 4,499 refugees, of whom 4,496 were South Africans. This marks a sharp decline from the previous administration's ceiling of 125,000 and excludes most other nationalities; only three refugees from Afghanistan were admitted in the same period.

To implement this shift, Trump issued an executive order suspending the Refugee Admissions Program and capping annual admissions at a record low of 7,500. He justified the program by alleging that Afrikaners face racial discrimination and genocide in South Africa. These claims have been strongly rejected by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who described the assertions as unfounded and noted that rural violence affects multiple racial groups.

The policy has strained diplomatic relations, leading to the expulsion of South Africa's ambassador to Washington and a December raid by South African authorities on a U.S. resettlement fast-track center. Domestically, the Episcopal Church ended its government resettlement services in protest. Additionally, Lutheran Community Services Northwest and other organizations filed a federal lawsuit alleging the program violates the Fifth Amendment by intentionally discriminating based on race and national origin.