Washington, D.C.—Church World Service today condemned the Trump administration’s Presidential Determination on refugee admissions for Fiscal Year 2026. Announced earlier today, that plan sets a record-low admissions target of just 7,500 people and reserves those slots primarily for Afrikaners from South Africa. Left out of the plan are tens of thousands of refugees who have already been approved for resettlement in the U.S., including our Afghan allies, religious minorities, and those fleeing some of the world’s most dire humanitarian crises.
“We are dismayed and disheartened by this administration’s decision to turn its back on the U.S. resettlement program, a long-standing legal pathway created in the spirit of offering a lifeline to those escaping persecution,” said Richard Santos, President & CEO of Church World Service. “By drastically reducing the number of refugees to be admitted in the coming year, and by prioritizing Afrikaners from South Africa for nearly all those slots, the White House is shamefully abandoning those refugees in crisis situations who have already been vetted and approved for resettlement in the United States. Such a recasting of the U.S. refugee program represents a stark and deeply cynical betrayal of its original spirit and proud history of offering protection to those most in need.”
CWS, which has helped administer the refugee program in partnership with the U.S. government since 1980, also notes that the administration failed to uphold its legal obligation to consult with Congress prior to finalizing its annual refugee plan – something no previous administration has done.
“This refugee plan runs counter to the law. It runs counter to our values as a nation that has long offered refuge to those in need of protection. It runs counter to our national self-interest, as we know that when refugees come to this country, they enrich our communities culturally, spiritually, and economically. And, as people of faith, we know that it runs counter to God’s call to care for those in need, to welcome the stranger, and to love our neighbors as we would love ourselves,” added Santos. “Our work as a faith-based organization is grounded in the belief that every person bears the image of God and deserves dignity, safety and compassion. With these values in mind, we urge the administration to change course.”
For more information on CWS efforts to welcome the stranger, to TAKE ACTION, or to speak with CWS experts, contact media@cwsglobal.org.