President Donald Trump is capping annual refugee admissions at 7,500 and giving preference for the dwindling spots to white South Africans, according to a Thursday memo from the White House.
The decision would result in a drastic drop in slots for refugees from the 125,000 set by the Biden administration last year, and mark a shift from the U.S.’s longtime commitment to admitting people fleeing conflict or persecution abroad. It would also dramatically change the demographics of refugees, who typically come from many countries around the world.
Instead, the administration has prioritized Afrikaners, a white ethnic group in South Africa that Trump and his allies say has faced racial discrimination.