US Immigration
From WikiDemocracy
Path to asylum narrows, especially for Latinos
| Russell Contreras | Axios | Dec. 11, 2024
This Axios analysis is the most directly useful article for statistics on who is receiving asylum in U.S. immigration courts. It reports that asylum grant rates had dropped to 35.8% in October, with major disparities by nationality: Russia had an 85.4% approval rate, China 76.6%, Mexico only 16.6%, Honduras 29.1%, Venezuela 64.5%, and Cuba 51.6%. The article emphasizes that asylum seekers from Russia, Asia, and Eastern Europe were more successful than many Latin American applicants.
He was tortured in Turkey. Then he faced a US immigration judge who almost never grants asylum
This Guardian article uses one Turkish asylum seeker’s case to examine how much asylum outcomes can depend on the immigration judge assigned to the case. The Guardian reports that, in its analysis of EOIR data, judges granted asylum in about 38% of cases where a grant-or-denial decision was reached, while some judges granted asylum in fewer than 5% or 10% of cases. The article is useful for showing that “who gains asylum” is shaped not only by nationality and claim type, but also by judge assignment.
First white South Africans arrive in US after Trump grants them refugee status
| Rachel Savage and David Smith | The Guardian | May 12, 2025
This Guardian article reports on the first group of white South Africans granted refugee status by the Trump administration. The article states that Reuters counted the group at 59 adults and children, while the Associated Press reported 49. It contrasts the administration’s welcome for Afrikaners with the suspension of the broader refugee resettlement program and the ending of temporary protections for Afghans.
Read: Episcopal Church won't help Trump admin resettle white Afrikaners
| Sareen Habeshian | Axios | May 12, 2025
This Axios article reports that the Episcopal Church refused to help resettle white South Africans classified as refugees by the Trump administration. The church said the group had received preferential treatment while many other refugees had waited for years in camps or dangerous conditions. This article is useful for documenting opposition from a major U.S. refugee-resettlement partner.
Trump wants to extend citizenship to “any farmer” from South Africa, but experts say he likely can’t
| Griffin Eckstein | Salon | Mar. 7, 2025
This Salon article reports on Trump’s proposal to create a rapid path for South African farmers, especially white farmers, to come to the United States. Immigration experts quoted in the article say Trump does not have authority on his own to create a new visa or citizenship pathway without Congress. The article is useful background for the later refugee-status decisions involving Afrikaners.
Trump administration restricts annual refugee admissions to historic low
This Salon article reports that Trump capped refugee admissions at 7,500 for the coming fiscal year, far below Biden’s 125,000 ceiling, and that the admissions were to focus on white South Africans. The article quotes the Federal Register language that admissions would be primarily allocated to Afrikaners from South Africa. It is useful for showing the numerical scale of the policy shift.
US will limit number of refugees to 7,500 and give priority to white South Africans
| Maya Yang and agency | The Guardian | Oct. 30, 2025
This Guardian article reports that the Trump administration planned to admit only 7,500 refugees in FY2026, with most places reserved for white South Africans. The article notes that Biden’s prior ceiling had been 125,000 and that refugee organizations criticized the policy as privileging Afrikaners while excluding vetted refugees from places such as Afghanistan, Venezuela, and Sudan.
Trump sets lowest-ever refugee cap. See how other presidents compare.
| Josephine Walker | Axios | Oct. 30, 2025
This Axios article places Trump’s 7,500 refugee cap in historical context, describing it as a record-low ceiling and noting that the admissions were to be primarily allocated to Afrikaners from South Africa. It compares the cap to Trump’s first-term low of 15,000 and Biden’s higher refugee ceilings, making it useful for statistics and historical comparison.
Trump to Slash Refugee Numbers to Record Low, With White South Africans Taking Most Spots
| Julia Conley | Common Dreams | Oct. 4, 2025
This Common Dreams article reports that Trump planned to cap refugee admissions at 7,500 in 2026, down from the 125,000 cap under Biden, while reserving most slots for white South Africans. It also reports criticism from Democrats and refugee advocates, including the claim that large numbers of already-vetted refugees from countries such as Afghanistan, Sudan, and Ukraine were left stranded.
US claims ‘emergency refugee situation’ as it admits 10,000 more white South Africans
| Rachel Savage and agencies | The Guardian | May 19, 2026
This Guardian article reports that the U.S. government said it would increase the number of white South Africans admitted as refugees from about 7,500 to 17,500, citing an “emergency refugee situation.” The article says the additional 10,000 admissions would cost about $100 million and notes that the policy came while the broader refugee settlement program had been suspended for people fleeing conflicts in countries such as Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Sudan.
