Refugee cap rises to 17,500

16,292 refugees entered the United States in the 2026 fiscal year. State Department data shows that 16,287 of those individuals were from South Africa. This figure represents a sharp decline from previous years when tens of thousands of refugees from countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan, Syria, and Venezuela arrived.

The administration suspended refugee admissions immediately after Donald Trump returned to office in 2025. He stated that the process could only restart if it served US interests. In February 2026, an executive order reopened the pathway specifically for Afrikaners from South Africa. The White House argued these individuals face persecution, a claim the South African government has denied.

The cap for the 2026 fiscal year started at 7,500. Officials raised it to 17,500 in May 2026. They cited an unforeseen emergency refugee situation as the reason for the increase. Despite the higher number, the actual intake has remained low compared to the final two years of the Biden administration. During fiscal years 2023 and 2024, 60,000 and 100,000 refugees entered the country, respectively.

The shift in policy is part of a wider tightening of immigration pathways. The government ended Temporary Protected Status for hundreds of thousands of people. In June 2026, the Supreme Court upheld the decision to end this protection for approximately 350,000 Haitians in the US. This move removed their right to live and work in the country while their home nation was deemed unsafe.

Legal work visas have also seen changes. A $100,000 fee on new H1-B visas for skilled workers took effect in September 2025. This policy targeted roles often held by Indian nationals. The change caused a 40% drop in registrations for 2027, according to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services. A federal court has blocked the fee for now, but the reduction in applications has already occurred.

The administration launched a new program called the Trump Gold Card in 2025. It offers a path to residency in exchange for a $1 million gift to the US government and a $15,000 application fee. Trump said the program would boost the economy. By April 2026, only one applicant had been accepted into the scheme.

Enforcement actions have also intensified. ICE recorded nearly 50,000 detentions in July 2026. This was a record high for a single month. However, data from the Deportation Data Project shows that only 27% of those detained had criminal convictions in that month. This percentage is an all-time low.

The administration removed an average of 1,255 people per day by mid-July 2026. That number compares to about 770 removals per day during the final months of the Biden administration. These figures reflect a multi-pronged approach that includes freezing asylum applications and deploying troops to the border.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said on October 16 that the data proves the administration delivered on its promise of a secure border. He stated that strong enforcement works. The midterm elections are approaching, and immigration remains a central issue for voters. A poll released on October 21 found that 50% of voters trust Democrats to handle the issue, compared to 46% for Republicans.