Trump administration plans to accept mostly White South African refugees in 2027

The Trump administration has announced its intention to prioritize White South Africans for refugee status in fiscal year 2027, with a proposed cap of 17,500 admissions. This policy marks a significant shift in the long-standing U.S. refugee program, which traditionally served individuals fleeing various global conflicts and persecutions. The administration justifies this focus by citing alleged discrimination and persecution, particularly against Afrikaners, in South Africa, a claim consistently rejected by the South African government.

The decision, communicated to Congress on September 22, 2026, has been met with criticism from refugee advocates who argue that concentrating on one group excludes other vulnerable populations worldwide. This move follows earlier actions by the Trump administration that dramatically altered the refugee program, including an increase in the cap for South Africans from an initial 7,500 for all refugees, through an emergency determination earlier in the year. The resettlement effort for these refugees is projected to cost approximately $500 million.