U.S. President Donald Trump has set a new limit on the admission of immigrants for 2026, announcing that only 7,500 people will be allowed immigration to the United States next year. This is the lowest limit since the Refugee Act of 1980.
In his statement, President Trump said that his administration is going to reduce immigration levels to one of the lowest points in American history because “immigration should never harm the national interests of the United States.” He further claimed that white Africans in South Africa are facing the threat of genocide, which is why they will be given priority visas.
Currently, the annual U.S. refugee quota is 125,000, but under Trump’s new policy, this number has been restricted to 7,500.
According to the Trump administration, under the new policy, security screening for refugees will be made even more strict, and any applicant will be required to obtain approval from both the U.S. Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security before entry.
In June 2025, President Trump issued a new executive order that also changed the rules for the entry of foreign nationals. Under these rules, the government is authorized to deny entry to individuals who are considered to have an “unsatisfactory security profile.”
Human rights organizations have strongly criticized this decision. According to a former adviser to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, this move represents a clear departure from America’s long-standing humanitarian policies and protection for refugees.
Read More: Malaysia Introduces New One-Year Golden Visa for Foreign Investors
Human Rights Watch, based in New York, stated that “this decision amounts to discrimination based on race, ethnicity, and religion, and could push America’s immigration history back by half a century.”
