US Admits 4,499 Refugees Mostly from South Africa Since 2025

Since October 2025, the United States has admitted 4,499 refugees, with nearly all originating from South Africa, according to government data from the Department of State's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration. The only exceptions were three individuals from Afghanistan. This marks a significant shift in the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, which President Donald Trump overhauled upon returning to office in January 2025, suspending most entries while prioritizing applications from South Africa's white Afrikaner community, described by the administration as victims of illegal or unjust discrimination.

The policy change capped refugee admissions at 7,500 for fiscal year 2026, a sharp reduction from the more than 100,000 resettled during the final full year of the Biden administration, which drew from 85 countries. Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office to halt the program, citing concerns over national security and assimilation amid high levels of migration. In May 2025, the administration announced an exception for Afrikaners, allowing them to apply for resettlement amid claims of persecution, including attacks on white farmers and inflammatory...