The Trump administration recently notified Congress that they plan to take in no more than 17,500 refugees in the upcoming fiscal year of 2027. They stated that the majority of these spots will be allocated to white South Africans otherwise known as Afrikaners. The State Department (DOS) informed Congress on September 22nd 2026 which is about a week before the start of the new fiscal year on October 1st. Refugees from any other country have little chance of being accepted to the United States next year.
AP news reported the government plans on admitting Afrikaners due to alleged racial persecution at the hands of other South Africans. Afrikaners arrived in the U.S. last year too, despite President Trump suspending the refugee program.
In 2025 President Trump shut down the refugee program shortly after he became president. He later allowed only the Afrikaners to come to our country. These first refugees arrived in May of 2025.
One week ago on September 15th Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the US would be placing a visa ban on those who he believes are involved in or have helped discriminate based on race in South Africa. Anyone that helped steal land from these minorities without compensation or incited violence towards them. They will also ban their family members as well.
What This Means for Refugee Applicants
Each year the president of the United States will notify Congress of how many refugees they are willing to accept for the year. These numbers have fluctuated throughout the years. According to HIAS we have been accepting around 92,000 refugees per year since 1980. The previous administration under President Biden had a quota of 125,000 refugees for their last year in office.
The Trump administration set a quota of only 7,500 refugees to be let into our country during fiscal year 2026. Which was the lowest amount ever allowed into our country. With priority being given to the Afrikaners. In May of 2026 they increased this number by 10,000 through an emergency determination. Stating that there were unforeseen circumstances happening in South Africa. All of those additional spots went to the Afrikaners. As of July 31st 2026 out of the 10,258 refugees that were let into our country 10,255 were from South Africa.
The 2027 ceiling holds at that raised level. And since the notice says admissions will go “primarily” to Afrikaners, refugees from other countries should expect very few openings.
As always, ILBSG actively monitors ongoing U.S. immigration news. If you have questions about any U.S. immigration related issue, contact us. Working with an experienced attorney ensures you get the right advice based on the most recent laws. In an ever-evolving immigration policy landscape, it’s particularly critical you get the right advice.