The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly discussing a refugee admissions cap of 40,000 for the next year, with the majority of slots allocated to white South Africans, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the matter and an internal electronic memo from the refugee program. This represents a significant shift in the U.S. approach to refugees.
Angie Salazar, a senior official in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services refugee program, told refugee program staff that she expects the cap to be 40,000, according to an August 1 internal memo seen by Reuters.
Two anonymous officials stated that around 30,000 of the 40,000 spots would be reserved for white South Africans—a minority of Dutch descent whom Trump has prioritized for resettlement in the U.S.
The proposed 40,000-refugee cap would mark a significant reduction from the 100,000 refugees allowed under former President Joe Biden for fiscal year 2024, but remains higher than the record low of 15,000 set by Trump for fiscal year 2021 before the end of his first term.
Another person familiar with the discussions noted that aside from the 40,000 cap, a ceiling of no more than 12,000 refugees had also been considered.
According to United Nations estimates, there are currently 37 million refugees worldwide.
In addition to white South Africans, the Trump administration expects to accept some Afghans who assisted U.S. authorities during the conflict in Afghanistan and is considering the possibility of admitting Ukrainians, according to the internal memo.
