The U.S. has 17,500 refugee slots. Trump says they will primarily go to white South Africans.

The Trump administration plans to admit up to 17,500 additional White Afrikaners from South Africa as refugees over the next fiscal year starting in October 2027. The State Department notified Congress that these individuals face persecution due to land seizures without compensation and discriminatory government policies. Despite shutting down most refugee admissions for other groups fleeing war or violence globally, Trump has made an exception for Afrikaners. This decision is estimated to cost approximately $500 million. The South African government disputes claims of racial oppression against the ethnic minority. Critics argue this program excludes refugees from numerous other countries facing persecution and conflict.