The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump plans to set a record low limit for accepting new refugees next year. It could reach as low as 7,500, The New York Times reported.
According to documents obtained by the newspaper, “a significant portion of the places will be reserved“ for white South Africans and other groups subject to “unfair discrimination”. This limit of 7,500 would not only be significantly lower than the 2024 limit set by the administration of former U.S. President Joe Biden (125,000 refugees), but also half the limit set by Trump himself at the end of his first term (15,000 refugees).
A White House official told the newspaper that a final decision on the limit would be made only after consultations between the administration and Congress. Such discussions are currently impossible due to the partial shutdown of the federal government. According to a source in The New York Times, the United States will not accept any refugees in the new fiscal year, which began on October 1, until lawmakers agree on further government funding.
In mid-August, Reuters reported that the US administration is considering limiting the admission of new refugees to 40,000 people per year, starting in 2026. In a memo to government officials, Angie Salazar, the chief refugee assistance specialist at the US Department of Health and Human Services, wrote that in addition to white South Africans, the Trump administration hopes to accept some groups of Afghans, and the possibility of accepting Ukrainians is also being considered. If the priority refugee groups do not fill all allocated places, citizens of other countries will be eligible for admission.