Only White South Africans Admitted as US Refugees Since October

Data shows no other refugee groups have been legally resettled in the US in the past 5 months

Published on Mar. 5, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

According to the State Department's most recent arrivals report, the United States has only admitted white South African refugees since October 2025, with no other refugee groups being legally resettled during that time period. The Trump administration has implemented policies that have dramatically curbed refugee admissions overall, while carving out an exception for white South Africans who the president has falsely claimed face 'genocide' and 'discrimination'.

Why it matters

The dramatic shift in refugee admissions policy has drawn widespread criticism, with many accusing the Trump administration of implementing a de facto 'whites-only' refugee program that mirrors racist immigration quotas of the past. The policy stands in stark contrast to the treatment of other refugee groups, many of whom have been locked out of the US or even detained and deported despite legally entering the country.

The details

The State Department report shows that from October 2025 to January 2026, just 1,651 refugees were admitted to the US, with all but 3 being white South Africans. This represents a drastic reduction from the same period a year earlier under the Biden administration, when 37,596 refugees were admitted, primarily from the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa. The Trump administration has slashed the annual refugee cap to a historic low of 7,500, down from 40,000, and has implemented new policies requiring refugees to be 're-inspected' for 'assimilation' ability, effectively locking many out. Meanwhile, the administration is working to expedite approvals for white South African refugees, including by installing trailers on US Embassy property in South Africa.

  • From October 2025 to January 2026, 1,651 refugees were admitted to the US.
  • In the same period a year earlier under the Biden administration, 37,596 refugees were admitted.
  • In September 2025, Trump lowered the annual refugee cap to 7,500, a historic low.

The players

Donald Trump

The former president who implemented policies dramatically curbing refugee admissions to the US, while carving out an exception for white South Africans.

US Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

The federal agency that has implemented new policies requiring refugees to be 're-inspected' for 'assimilation' ability, effectively locking many out of the country.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“It's the kind of immigration policy the Ku Klux Klan dreamed of. Literally. This kind of quota system mirrors the kind of policies that white supremacist groups, including the Klan, pushed for 100 years ago.”

— Ja'han Jones, Opinion writer (MS NOW)

“While the Trump administration is trying to convert warehouses at home into massive prisons to jail and deport immigrants swept up in its racist crackdown, it is also working to build trailers in Pretoria so it can rapidly increase the number of white South Africans.”

— Ja'han Jones, Opinion writer (MS NOW)

What’s next

The Biden administration has pledged to review and reverse the Trump-era refugee policies, but it remains to be seen how quickly they will be able to do so and what the long-term impacts will be on refugee resettlement in the US.

The takeaway

The Trump administration's refugee policies have drawn widespread condemnation for their discriminatory and racist nature, favoring white South Africans over other refugee groups fleeing war, oppression, and genocide. This represents a stark departure from previous norms and a troubling return to the kind of exclusionary immigration policies pushed by white supremacist groups in the past.