US has let in 4,499 refugees since October – all but three were South African
US Refugee Resettlement Shift Under Trump’s Policy Overhaul
US government data reveals a dramatic change in refugee admissions under Donald Trump’s revised policies. Since October 2025, 4,499 individuals have been resettled, with 4,496 hailing from South Africa and just three from Afghanistan. This starkly contrasts with the previous administration’s approach, where 125,000 refugees were accepted from 85 countries during the last full fiscal year starting in October 2023.
Trump’s administration suspended all refugee admissions during his term, including those from conflict zones. However, he introduced a policy favoring Afrikaners, a white minority group, claiming they faced persecution. South Africa disputed this characterization, highlighting its historical and political context.
Trump’s Claims and Diplomatic Fallout
Diplomatic tensions between the US and South Africa intensified since Trump’s return to the presidency. In May 2024, South Africa’s ambassador to the US, Ebrahim Rasool, was expelled for criticizing Trump’s portrayal of white victimhood as a “dog whistle” for supremacism. During a meeting in the Oval Office, Trump asserted that white farmers in South Africa were targets of “genocide,” a claim refuted by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
“Certainly, the majority of South Africa’s commercial and smallholder farmers really do want to stay in South Africa and make it work,” said John Steenhuisen, leader of the Democratic Alliance.
The South African government later criticized the US decision to prioritize Afrikaner applications, noting that claims of a “white genocide” had lost credibility. An open letter from prominent Afrikaner figures, including academics and business leaders, rejected the narrative, with some labeling the resettlement scheme as racially biased.
Refugee arrivals from South Africa began in May 2024, with a group of 68 reaching the US. Numbers increased this year, with 2,848 people arriving in February and March alone. The majority settled in Texas, where 543 individuals now reside.
