President Donald Trump’s administration is preparing to set the U.S. refugee admissions ceiling at just 7,500 for the current fiscal year, marking the lowest cap in modern history. Since returning to office in January 2025, Trump has frozen refugee admissions and stated they would only resume if deemed in the U.S. national interest. By early September, at least 138 South Africans had arrived in the U.S. under this policy, Reuters reported. During his first term, Trump drastically cut refugee levels as part of his broader immigration crackdown. At the recent United Nations General Assembly, Trump officials also called on other nations to join a global effort to restrict asylum protections, signaling a broader push to reshape international refugee norms.