Trump Administration Has Resettled Zero Religious Refugees This Year
The United States has not resettled a single refugee fleeing religious persecution in fiscal year 2026, according to data from World Relief and Open Doors US. The vast majority of the roughly 7,730 total refugee arrivals this year were white Afrikaners from South Africa. Advocacy groups including the National Association of Evangelicals have raised alarms over the shift.
<p>The United States has not resettled a single refugee fleeing religious persecution in fiscal year 2026, according to data analyzed by World Relief and Open Doors US. The finding covers the period from October 2025 through the end of September 2026.</p>
<p>Of the approximately 7,730 total refugee arrivals recorded through June 2026, the vast majority were white Afrikaners from South Africa. The Trump administration classified them as victims of "unjust racial discrimination," an emergency determination that redirected the program away from other groups.</p>
<p>The shift has effectively shut out refugees from the 50 countries on the Open Doors World Watch List, which tracks the most dangerous places to be a Christian. Historically, the U.S. resettlement program has included Iraqi Yezidis, Soviet Jews, and Christians from Afghanistan, Iran, and Burma.</p>
<p>The administration also launched "Operation PARRIS" in November 2025, detaining previously resettled refugees for re-interviewing. Among those detained were members of the Christian Karen minority and Iranian Christians who had already fled religious persecution.</p>
<p>The National Association of Evangelicals and the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission have both expressed concern. Surveys show strong support among American evangelicals for welcoming refugees, but the administration has not changed course. The State Department and the Office of Refugee Resettlement have not publicly responded to requests for comment on the policy.</p>
<p>The fiscal year ends September 30, 2026. Advocacy groups say the window for any change before the year closes is nearly gone.</p>
