Trump wants 17,500 white South Africans admitted as refugees to US

The Trump administration wants more White South African refugees.

The Trump administration is pushing to increase the number of White South African refugees admitted to the United States for the 2026 fiscal year, according to an emergency determination sent to Congress.

The document, obtained and reviewed by CNN, proposes raising the refugee cap to 17,500.

This follows an initial restriction that slashed the annual refugee ceiling to 7,500, down from a previous 125,000, while specifically prioritising White South Africans and excluding other vulnerable global populations.

The proposed shift follows growing diplomatic friction between Washington and Pretoria. While the administration points to "grave humanitarian concerns" for Afrikaners, the South African government has repeatedly rejected claims of targeted violence, maintaining that no such crisis exists.