In this photograph taken on September 2, 2025, Afghan refugee girl Shayma is pictured during an interview with AFP at her residence in Islamabad. Her family had been scheduled to fly to the U.S. in February, before the Trump administration suspended most refugee admissions.
Farooq Naeem/AFP via Getty Images
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Farooq Naeem/AFP via Getty Images
The Trump administration is drastically cutting the number of refugees it will admit to the U.S., capping it at 7,500 for the current fiscal year. That’s the lowest since the U.S. refugee program was established in 1980.
The U.S. wants to primarily admit Afrikaners from South Africa, according to a notification in the Federal Register filed on Thursday, and “other victims of illegal or unjust discrimination in their respective homelands.”
The administration has largely paused the U.S. refugee resettlement program so far this year, with the exception of a streamlined process of resettlement for white South Africans. Several hundred from the group have been resettled across the U.S. since March.
In response, some resettlement groups have been quick to voice concern over the lack of resources and limits on admission of those from other countries. Others have shuttered their serviceschanging the landscape of the refugee resettlement process.
Thursday’s notification, which covers the fiscal year that started October 1, does not provide a reason for the lower cap, beyond mentioning previous Trump administration policies on refugees, including pausing admissions overall and barring admissions from countries seen as threats to U.S. security and welfare.
Christopher Landau, the deputy secretary of state, previously told reporters that criteria for bringing in refugees included making sure that they did not pose a national security challenge and could be easily assimilated.
“This decision doesn’t just lower the refugee admissions ceiling. It lowers our moral standing,” Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president of Global Refuge, said in a statement. “At a time of crisis in countries ranging from Afghanistan to Venezuela to Sudan and beyond, concentrating the vast majority of admissions on one group undermines the program’s purpose as well as its credibility.”
The Biden administration had set the refugee cap at 125,000 for fiscal year 2025.
Push for higher caps
Table of Contents
- 1. Push for higher caps
- 2. What was teh refugee admission cap set by the Trump administration for fiscal year 2021, and how did this compare to previous administrations?
- 3. Trump Administration Sets Record Low Refugee Admission Cap for U.S.
- 4. The Dramatic Reduction in Refugee Numbers
- 5. Key Policy Changes & Executive Orders
- 6. Impact on Refugee Populations & Resettlement agencies
- 7. The Role of National Security Concerns
- 8. Legal Challenges and Court battles
- 9. Data & Statistics: Refugee Admissions Over Time
Refugee advocates have spent the year pushing for a broader range of admissions beyond Afrikaners, including admitting people from other countries who had already been vetted to arrive in the U.S.
“It is egregious to exclude refugees who completed years of rigorous security checks and are currently stuck in dangerous and precarious situations,” said Sharif Aly, president of the International Refugee Assistance Project. He said that the number of those with confirmed travel plans to the U.S. is greater than the new refugee cap.
The admission of Afrikaners to the U.S. has drawn scrutiny from resettlement agencies in the U.S., who have faced sharp budgetresource, and personnel cuts since President Trump took office.
Among his first executive actions, Trump paused the refugee resettlement program. Various agencies including the State Department have also paused disbursing funding for critical services for other refugees, such as the home, job and school assistance the Afrikaners are poised to receive.
The pause also sent the refugee resettlement agencies into turmoil as refugees already cleared to arrive in the U.S. received notice their flights had been cancelled.
Among those left in limbo were Afghans who worked with the U.S. militarya move that some Republicans have criticized. A lower-court judge had ordered the government to at least resume the refugee program for those who had already been approved to travel, but an appeals court ruled in favor of the administration.
The notice in the Federal Register makes no mention of Afghans, despite past promises to help those who supported the U.S. in America’s longest war.
What was teh refugee admission cap set by the Trump administration for fiscal year 2021, and how did this compare to previous administrations?
Trump Administration Sets Record Low Refugee Admission Cap for U.S.
The Dramatic Reduction in Refugee Numbers
The trump administration significantly curtailed the U.S. refugee program, culminating in a historically low admission cap for fiscal year 2021 – a mere 15,000 refugees. This represented a drastic decrease from the 95,000 cap set during the Obama administration and the 110,000 cap under the George W. Bush presidency. This policy shift sparked widespread controversy and raised concerns about America’s humanitarian obligations and national security implications.The reduction in refugee resettlement impacted individuals fleeing persecution,war,and violence globally.
Key Policy Changes & Executive Orders
Several key policy changes and executive orders contributed to this dramatic reduction:
* Travel Ban (Executive Order 13769): Initially targeting seven Muslim-majority countries, this order, and its subsequent revisions, severely restricted travel and refugee admissions from specific nations. While legally challenged and modified, it created notable delays and obstacles for refugees seeking entry.
* Increased vetting Procedures: The administration implemented more stringent vetting procedures for refugee applicants, citing national security concerns.These included expanded background checks and interviews, leading to longer processing times and increased denials.critics argued these procedures were overly burdensome and discriminatory.
* “Extreme Vetting” Initiative: This initiative aimed to identify potential threats among refugees and immigrants, utilizing advanced data analytics and intelligence gathering. Concerns were raised about the accuracy and fairness of these methods.
* Reduced Refugee Processing Capacity: The administration deliberately reduced the capacity of the refugee processing system, including closing resettlement offices and limiting the number of staff dedicated to refugee cases. This created a backlog of applications and further slowed down the process.
* Presidential Determination: Each year, the President issues a Presidential Determination that sets the official refugee admission number for the following fiscal year. The Trump administration consistently lowered this number, reaching the record low of 15,000.
Impact on Refugee Populations & Resettlement agencies
The consequences of these policies were far-reaching:
* Delayed and Cancelled Resettlements: Thousands of refugees who had already been approved for resettlement had their cases delayed or cancelled indefinitely. Families were separated, and individuals remained in precarious situations in refugee camps or conflict zones.
* Strain on International Partners: The reduction in U.S. refugee admissions placed a greater burden on other countries to provide protection and assistance to refugees.
* Financial Impact on Resettlement Agencies: Resettlement agencies, such as the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and HIAS, experienced significant funding cuts and were forced to reduce staff and programs. This hampered their ability to provide essential services to refugees.
* Reduced Diversity in Refugee Admissions: The focus on national security concerns led to a decrease in the number of refugees admitted from countries facing widespread persecution, even if they were not specifically targeted by the travel ban.
* Impact on Asylum Seekers: While distinct from the refugee program, the restrictive policies also indirectly affected asylum seekers at the U.S. border, contributing to increased backlogs and challenges in accessing protection.
The Role of National Security Concerns
The Trump administration consistently justified its policies by citing national security concerns. Officials argued that stricter vetting procedures were necessary to prevent terrorists and criminals from entering the country. Though, critics countered that the existing vetting process was already rigorous and that the administration’s policies were based on unfounded fears and discriminatory practices. Data from the Department of Homeland Security showed that the risk of a refugee committing a terrorist act was extremely low. The debate centered around balancing national security with humanitarian obligations.
Legal Challenges and Court battles
The Trump administration’s refugee policies faced numerous legal challenges from civil rights organizations, refugee advocates, and state attorneys general.Courts blocked several aspects of the travel ban and other restrictive measures,citing violations of due process and equal protection.These legal battles highlighted the constitutional and legal complexities surrounding refugee policy. The Supreme Court ultimately upheld a revised version of the travel ban, but the legal challenges continued to shape the implementation of the policies.
Data & Statistics: Refugee Admissions Over Time
| Fiscal Year | Refugee Admissions | Presidential Determination |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 59,925 | 76,000 |
| 2016 | 84,994 | 85,000 |
| 2017 | 53,716 | 50,000 |
| 2018 | 22,495 | 45,000 |
| 2019 | 28,213 | 30,000 |
| 2020 | 12,138 | 18,000 |
| 2021 | 6,35
