The United States is aiming to process up to 4,500 refugee applications per month from white South Africans, far exceeding President Donald Trump’s publicly stated annual refugee admissions cap, according to a newly surfaced government contracting document.
The previously unreported United States Department of State document, dated January 27, outlines plans to expand processing capacity at the US embassy in Pretoria, including the installation of temporary trailers to accommodate the anticipated surge in applicants.
The target signals a significant ramp-up in admissions from South Africa, even as refugee entries from many other regions have been curtailed. Trump has said the US would admit only 7,500 refugees globally in the 2026 fiscal year, despite earlier internal discussions suggesting a higher ceiling of between 40,000 and 60,000.
As of January 31, about 2,000 white South Africans had entered the US under the programme, which began in May 2025. However, officials noted that arrivals accelerated in recent months.
The ambitious goal may face administrative hurdles. A US official familiar with the matter said refugee travel to the US has recently been paused, affecting all applicants, including South Africans.
Neither the United States Department of Homeland Security nor the State Department responded to requests for comment, while the White House referred queries back to the State Department.
The South African Chamber of Commerce in the USA said last year that more than 67,000 people had expressed interest in relocating to the US.
Trump initially halted most refugee admissions after returning to office in 2025 as part of a broader immigration crackdown. Weeks later, he introduced a special pathway for white South Africans of Afrikaner descent, claiming they faced violent persecution an assertion strongly rejected by Pretoria and criticised by refugee advocacy groups.
The contracting document, published on a US government database, justifies awarding a trailer installation contract without competitive bidding, citing urgent security needs. It states that an earlier refugee processing site on commercial property in Johannesburg was compromised following an immigration raid by South African authorities.
“The inability to safely process about 4,500 applicants per month … would result in failure to meet a Presidential priority,” the document said.
South African Foreign Ministry spokesperson Chrispin Phiri said the government would not obstruct the US programme if conducted lawfully but reiterated that claims of systemic persecution against Afrikaners were unfounded.
“The assertion that Afrikaners face systemic persecution is fundamentally unsubstantiated,” he said.
Further delays could complicate the plan. An email to applicants indicated that refugee travel had been suspended between February 23 and March 9 due to operational issues.
Under Trump’s broader refugee restrictions introduced in early 2025, South African cases must be approved individually by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. According to officials, slower approvals have created a growing backlog.
Before the pause, arrivals had been increasing, with roughly 1,500 South Africans admitted in December and January combined, compared with about 500 over the previous six-and-a-half months.
Whether the US can meet its monthly processing target remains uncertain as logistical and policy constraints continue to weigh on the programme.