Overview
- A presidential determination published in the Federal Register sets the FY2026 refugee ceiling at 7,500 and says admissions will primarily be allocated to Afrikaners from South Africa.
- The order moves oversight of initial resettlement grants from the State Department to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement.
- Refugee organizations including IRAP and Global Refuge condemn the policy as politicized and discriminatory, warning that thousands of already vetted refugees remain stranded.
- Democratic lawmakers say required consultations with Congress did not occur, while the administration says no refugees will be admitted until those consultations take place after the government reopens.
- The cap represents a sharp drop from last year’s 125,000 limit under Biden, and South African officials dispute that Afrikaners face persecution meeting international refugee law standards.