President Donald Trump signed a presidential determination on May 21 increasing the U.S. refugee admissions ceiling for fiscal year 2026 from 7,500 to 17,500.
The additional 10,000 slots target white South Africans, primarily Afrikaners, according to the document and administration statements sent to Congress.
The move follows an initial cap set at a record low of 7,500 after Trump froze most refugee admissions upon taking office in January 2025.
Government figures show that by the end of April 2026, 6,069 refugees had entered the United States under the program. All but three were white South Africans.
Targeted Refugee Program
The administration launched a specific initiative for Afrikaners in February 2025 through Executive Order 14204.
The order cited “egregious actions” by the South African government, including land reform policies and responses to violence against farmers.
The May 21 determination states that white South Africans of Afrikaner ethnicity face an emergency situation due to incitement of racially motivated violence by government officials and political parties.
Refugees admitted under the program undergo standard vetting by U.S. agencies. After one year in the country, they become eligible to apply for permanent residency.
“For these reasons, a revised ceiling of 17,500 is justified by grave humanitarian concerns and in the national interest,” the State Department told Congress in the justification document.
Conditions in South Africa
South Africa has one of the highest crime rates in the world. AfriForum, a civil rights group representing Afrikaner interests, recorded 184 farm attacks and 29 farm murders in 2025.
The group reported that violence during these attacks remains high, with 36% involving serious violent acts and substantial risk of death.
White farmers, who own a large share of commercial farmland, are disproportionately affected relative to their population size.
The South African government maintains that farm attacks are criminal acts not motivated by race and affect all groups in rural areas. It has rejected claims of systematic persecution or genocide against white South Africans.
The U.S. program has drawn criticism from refugee advocacy organizations. Critics argue it creates a racial preference while blocking admissions from other countries with large refugee populations.
Reactions and Implications
The White House, the U.S. State Department, and the South African government had not issued any immediate comments on the latest increase as of May 26.
Supporters of the policy describe it as a necessary response to documented risks that previous U.S. administrations ignored. Opponents call it a racially selective use of the refugee system.
The fiscal year ends on September 30, 2026. Resettlement costs for the additional 10,000 refugees are estimated at approximately $100 million. Several states have already begun coordination for receiving arrivals.
This policy represents a major shift from recent years. The United States admitted more than 100,000 refugees annually under the previous administration. In fiscal year 2026, nearly all admissions so far have come from South Africa under the targeted program.
Trump’s new directive has fueled debate over the purpose and criteria of the U.S. refugee system, which operates under the Refugee Act of 1980. That law gives the president authority to set annual ceilings after consultation with Congress.
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