Overview
- Internal documents describe proposals to cut the annual refugee ceiling to about 7,500 and to cancel large numbers of pending applications already in the pipeline.
- Selection criteria would give preference to English speakers, white South Africans, and Europeans citing penalties for anti‑migration views, with recommended limits on resettlement in areas with high immigrant populations.
- Administrative changes under consideration include shifting referrals from the United Nations to U.S. embassies, mandatory courses on American history and values, tighter security vetting, and possible DNA tests for children.
- Some steps have already occurred, including a pause in admissions, the admission of a small group of white South Africans as refugees, and reported cuts or reallocations affecting resettlement services.
- Refugee organizations and legal analysts warn the approach is discriminatory and potentially unlawful, while the State Department defends the review as aligning the program with the president’s priorities.