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Guest Columnists:
Danilo Zak and
Kimoko Hirota of
Church World Service
On Friday evening October 3, multiple reports stated that the Trump administration is planning to set the refugee admissions target for Fiscal Year 2026 at 7,500 — with the vast majority of those slots reserved for white South Afrikaners.
The number would be by far the lowest annual admissions ceiling in the history of the refugee program. No president other than Trump, regardless of party, has ever set a refugee goal below 60,000. Should this Presidential Determination (PD) on refugee admissions move forward, it would effectively close the door to tens of thousands of already approved refugees who have been waiting for years in the pipeline.
According to the reports, this new PD will not be finalized or implemented until a legally required consultation with Congress occurs – which will not happen until after the ongoing government shutdown is resolved. Until that point, zero refugees are being resettled as we enter the new fiscal year without a formal admissions ceiling.
While it has not been implemented, the PD is reportedly already signed by President Trump and dated September 30, raising questions about to what extent the administration is able to honor the requirement to hold an “appropriate consultation” with Congress as defined by the Refugee Act of 1980.
Take action: Use this updated action alert to tell your elected leaders to stand with stranded refugees as the administration plans to break our promises to so many already approved for resettlement.
It is also important to note that immigration enforcement continues despite the government shutdown. Despite 750,000 government workers facing furloughs, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel are largely deemed essential and will continue working without interruption. Two administration officials told Politico that ICE is looking to use funding from the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act to pay agents during the shutdown.
Immigration courts also remained open at this time, unlike in the last shutdown when more than 80,000 hearings were canceled. Use the American Immigration Lawyers Association’s practice alert for up-to-date shutdown information regarding relevant agencies.
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