News & Resources
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 30, 2025
MEDIA CONTACT
Spencer Tilger | media@refugeerights.org
ADMINISTRATION UNDERMINES REFUGEE ACT WITH NEW PRESIDENTIAL DETERMINATION
IRAP condemns administration for privileging select groups while leaving thousands of other families in danger
(WASHINGTON D.C.)— Today, the Trump administration published its Presidential Determination (PD) on refugee admissions for Fiscal Year 2026. The admissions goal of 7,500 is not only a significant drop from the previous goal of 125,000 set by the Biden administration, but a historic low since the creation of the program in 1980. The decision was posted without proper consultation with Congress as required by law. Additionally, resettlement would be reserved primarily for Afrikaners, excluding at-risk refugees who have been waiting for years, including more than 12,000 who were already approved and scheduled for travel before President Trump took office.
Earlier this year, the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) filed Pacito v. Trump, a class action lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s unlawful suspension of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). In response to the new PD, IRAP criticized the administration’s continued dismantling of the U.S. refugee resettlement program and the undermining of the bipartisan Refugee Act, which requires that humanitarian protection be based on need, not politics. IRAP pledges to continue fighting to hold the administration accountable, preserve the bipartisan tradition of welcome, and ensure that all refugees who have been vetted and approved are admitted without discrimination.
The following is a statement from IRAP President Sharif Aly:
“This determination makes it painfully clear that the Trump administration values politics over protection. By privileging Afrikaners while continuing to ban thousands of refugees who have already been vetted and approved, the administration is once again politicizing a humanitarian program. It is egregious to exclude refugees who completed years of rigorous security checks and are currently stuck in dangerous and precarious situations.
In fact, the number of approved and vetted refugees who had confirmed travel plans to resettle in the United States before the administration unlawfully suspended the refugee program is larger than the entire refugee program this year. Today’s announcement highlights just how far this administration has gone when it comes to abandoning its responsibilities to displaced people around the world.
America’s refugee program was built to reflect our values, and the thousands of individuals we’ve closed our doors to represent thousands of missed opportunities of people who could have strengthened a local community or economy. We will continue to fight until the government keeps its promise and admits people who have already been approved and are ready to rebuild their lives here.”
Additional Resources
- Read IRAP Global Partnerships Director Bahati Kanyamanza’s op-ed opposing the administration’s exclusionary refugee policies in the Guardian: HERE
- Read IRAP’s fact sheet about the presidential determination process and how this is a departure from previous decisions: HERE
- Learn more about IRAP’s fight to preserve the refugee program: HERE
- Access the legal documents in Pacito v. Trump: HERE
The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) is a global legal aid and advocacy organization working to create a world where refugees and all people seeking safety are empowered to claim their right to freedom of movement and a path to lasting refuge. Everyone should have a safe place to live and a safe way to get there.
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