Washington (TDI): The Trump administration is preparing to impose a refugee admissions ceiling of just 7,500 people for fiscal year 2026.
If the proposal is finalized, it would mark a dramatic drop from the 125,000 refugee cap set under President Joe Biden for the prior year, and the lowest ceiling in modern US history.
The proposed cap reflects Trump’s restrictive stance on immigration and humanitarian admissions.
During his first term in office, he slashed refugee intake through executive actions. After returning to the White House in January 2025, he halted refugee admissions entirely, saying they will resume only if it is in US interest.
A controversial element of the new proposed policy is its prioritization of white South Africans of Afrikaner descent, whom the administration says are victims of racial persecution and violence.
In May, the first group of 59 South African refugees were admitted. By early September, the number had reached 138.
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This move has been strongly rejected by South Africa’s government, which says the claims of racially motivated mistreatment are exaggerated or unfounded.
Critics argue that such low refugee admissions would worsen global humanitarian challenges, separate refugee families, and undermine US leadership in resettlement efforts.
In recent months, some Trump administration officials had reportedly floated annual refugee admissions levels in the 40,000 to 60,000 range. But the 7,500 figure signals a much more aggressive scaling back.
At a side event during the United Nations General Assembly last month, US officials pushed for a global rollback of asylum protections.
A key element of their stance was that asylum seekers should seek refuge in the first country they enter, and not a country of their choosing afterwards.
Though the US did not receive any encouraging response on this from the UN and other countries, the Trump administration remains fixated on making the changes in its own policy.
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