News & Resources
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 28, 2026
MEDIA CONTACT
Spencer Tilger | media@refugeerights.org
IRAP DECRIES EXPANSION OF REFUGEE CEILING EXCLUSIVELY FOR WHITE AFRIKANERS
New Ceiling Would Continue to Exclude Refugees Who Have Been Waiting Years for Resettlement
(Washington, D.C.) – This week, the Trump administration published an Emergency Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2026, which directs the admission of up to 10,000 more white South Africans as refugees this fiscal year. The Trump administration previously set a historic low cap of 7,500 refugee admissions, and has transformed the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) to serve almost exclusively white Afrikaners while excluding refugees who have been waiting for years to safely resettle in the United States. This includes more than 120,000 refugees who were conditionally approved for resettlement when President Trump suspended USRAP in January 2025 and more than 12,000 refugees who already had travel booked at the time of the suspension.
The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) is challenging the U.S. government’s failure to keep its promise to long-waiting refugees and the Trump administration’s brazen rejection of Congress’s explicit mandates to support family reunification, religious minorities, and Iraqi refugees. On April 7, 2026, IRAP moved to amend its class action lawsuit, first filed after the suspension of USRAP, to challenge the administration’s blatantly racist and illegal approach to refugee admissions and its abandonment of the country’s commitment to pathways to safety that are not subject to political whim.
IRAP President Sharif Aly issued the following response:
“Expanding resettlement exclusively for white Afrikaners is a slap in the face to the more than 120,000 conditionally approved refugees currently trapped in the U.S. refugee processing pipeline. It is disgraceful to continue excluding refugees whom the United States has an obligation to process and admit to safety, including refugees waiting to reunite with their families and religious minorities. The declaration of an ‘emergency’ for Afrikaners is especially disturbing given the administration’s indifference to the plight of non-white refugees. Doubling down on discrimination further degrades the integrity of the U.S. refugee program and underscores this administration’s refusal to honor the law.”
Additional Resources
- Read IRAP’s response to the record-low FY26 refugee ceiling: HERE
- Learn about IRAP’s legal challenge to the discriminatory preference for Afrikaners: HERE
- Learn about IRAP’s lawsuit protecting resettled refugees from detention: 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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