Story perspectives

Trump Caps Refugees at 7,500, Excludes Afghans Amid Crackdown

12/26/2025

Center

Trump's Refugee Policy

U.S. President Donald Trump has set the fiscal 2026 refugee cap at 7,500, prioritizing White South Afrikaners and excluding Afghan nationals.
Afghan refugees face entry bans, and exemptions for Special Immigration Visas are removed.
ICE has summoned Afghan migrants for document check-ins during the holidays.
Advocacy groups say the timing aims to intimidate Afghan allies amid immigration crackdowns after a shooting involving an Afghan national.

Left

GOP Visa Program Decline

Republicans have become silent on expanding Afghan allies visa program after the 2021 U.S. withdrawal.
Initially, GOP lawmakers advocated expanding the visa program for Afghans who aided U.S. forces.
The shift followed Afghan Rahmanullah Lakanwal’s charging, evacuated in 2021, for shooting two National Guard members.
Representative Michael McCaul said the program is "severely damaged."
The shift weakens refuge for Afghan partners who fought with U.S. forces.

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Trump's Refugee Policy

U.S. President Donald Trump has set the fiscal 2026 refugee cap at 7,500, prioritizing White South Afrikaners and excluding Afghan nationals.
Afghan refugees face entry bans, and exemptions for Special Immigration Visas are removed.
ICE has summoned Afghan migrants for document check-ins during the holidays.
Advocacy groups say the timing aims to intimidate Afghan allies amid immigration crackdowns after a shooting involving an Afghan national.

1 / 2