Since October 2025, the United States has resettled 4,499 refugees, with an overwhelming majority hailing from South Africa. Only three individuals admitted during this period were from Afghanistan.
This marks a significant deviation from previous years. In the last full fiscal year of the Biden administration, 125,000 refugees from 85 countries were accepted. Former President Donald Trump's policy changes prioritized white South Africans, whom he characterized as persecuted victims of discrimination.
South Africa's government has contested this narrative, with its ambassador previously accusing the US of promoting "supremacism." President Trump raised concerns about the persecution and "genocide" of white farmers in South Africa during a meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa. However, South African officials and opposition leaders have disputed these claims, noting that prominent Afrikaners have also rejected the narrative of widespread persecution.
The first group of 68 South African refugees arrived in May last year, with numbers increasing significantly in early 2024. Texas has seen the highest concentration of resettled individuals, with 543 refugees.