The Trump administration announced Thursday that it will sharply reduce the number of refugees admitted to the United States in the next fiscal year while prioritizing white South Africans it says are facing discrimination. Notices in the Federal Register set a cap of 7,500 refugees for October 2025 through September 2026, a steep drop from the roughly 100,000 refugees admitted annually under the Biden administration. This marks the lowest U.S. refugee intake since the 1970s, when the limit stood at 17,000. The guidance emphasizes that Afrikaners and others experiencing illegal or unjust discrimination abroad will receive priority.

In addition to the reduced cap, the administration announced a major procedural shift, transferring oversight of refugee resettlement from the State Department to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) within Health and Human Services. Previously, ORR managed shelters and assistance for refugee families, while the State Department coordinated resettlement globally. Under the new structure, ORR will work with public and private partners to handle resettlement and funding. Officials cited the need to conduct resettlement “in a manner that serves the national interest, promotes efficient use of taxpayer dollars, protects the integrity of the United States immigration system, and supports refugees in achieving early economic self-sufficiency and assimilation.” This change follows a July layoff at the State Department that dismantled its Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration.

The policy reflects the administration’s broader efforts to tighten immigration controls. Earlier programs granting temporary legal status to migrants from Afghanistan, Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela were ended, with potential similar changes for Salvadorans and Hondurans. The prioritization of white South Africans has drawn criticism from Democrats and left-leaning media. The administration cited racial discrimination against Afrikaners as justification, with Trump calling it “a genocide that’s taking place,” though evidence remains disputed. Trump adviser Elon Musk pointed to a political rally in South Africa where a far-left opposition song included the lyrics “Kill the Boer,” referring to Afrikaners, as supporting the claim.