The Trump administration is weighing a plan to allocate a significant portion of next year’s U.S. refugee slots to white South Africans, according to a Reuters report published Friday.

Two U.S. officials familiar with the discussions, along with an internal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) email, indicated that up to 30,000 Afrikaners — a minority group of predominantly Dutch descent — could be admitted to the United States under the 2026 refugee cap.

The administration is reportedly considering limiting overall refugee admissions to around 40,000 for fiscal year 2026, a sharp reduction from the 100,000 refugees accepted in 2024 under former President Joe Biden.

White House press secretary Anna Kelly defended the move in comments to the Daily Caller News Foundation, citing the violence and discrimination Afrikaners have faced in South Africa.

“Outlets like Reuters have long covered the persecution of Afrikaners, who have endured unspeakable horrors, including rape, murder, and other violent crimes while their government has abandoned them,” Kelly said. “President Trump has a humanitarian heart, which is why he has welcomed these courageous individuals to the United States. Refugee admission caps will be determined next month, and any numbers discussed at this point are pure speculation.”

In May, President Trump signed an executive order directing the U.S. government to prioritize resettlement for Afrikaners fleeing race-based discrimination and violence. The order accused the South African government of showing “disregard” for the rights of its citizens, citing “countless government policies designed to dismantle equal opportunity in employment, education, and business, and hateful rhetoric and government actions fueling disproportionate violence against racially disfavored landowners.”

The issue of South Africa’s treatment of Afrikaners has been a recurring point for Trump. During a White House meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa earlier this year, Trump warned of a possible “genocide” against the group and played a video montage of violent attacks and discrimination targeting white farmers.

The first group of 59 Afrikaner refugees arrived in the United States in May, with another 34 arriving by early August, according to Reuters.

However, the administration’s push has stirred controversy among refugee advocacy groups. Episcopal Migration Services and other organizations have ended their partnerships with the federal government in protest of Trump’s Afrikaner resettlement program, signaling a split within the broader refugee support network.

The final refugee cap for fiscal year 2026 is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr