Overview
- A Federal Register notice dated Sept. 30 and published Oct. 30 sets the FY2026 ceiling at 7,500 and says admissions will be primarily allocated to Afrikaners from South Africa and certain others facing unjust discrimination.
- The cap marks a roughly 94% cut from last year’s 125,000 determination under President Biden, with the memo offering only that the limit is justified by humanitarian concerns or the national interest.
- A senior official says no refugees will be admitted until required consultations with Congress occur, with those discussions paused until the government reopens.
- The administration is moving initial refugee resettlement grants from the State Department to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement.
- Refugee advocates and Democratic lawmakers denounce the policy as discriminatory, South African officials dispute claims of Afrikaner persecution, and more than 100,000 vetted refugees are reported to remain in limbo.