US refugee policy for white South Africans is part of a century-long effort to keep some English-speaking nations white

Australia, Canada and the US identified themselves as ‘white men’s countries’ in the early 20th century and coordinated immigration restrictions to keep them that way.

By: John Broich, Case Western Reserve University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: April 7, 2026

Words: 1,341

Last Updated: 3 months, 3 weeks ago

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By John Broich, Case Western Reserve University

Whiteness appears to be an official immigration credential in the eyes of the United States government.

The Trump administration in late 2025 slashed the annual cap on refugee admissions to 7,500 for budget year 2026, down from the 125,000 cap set in 2024 by the Biden administration. That’s a historic low that will shut out thousands of global refugees from war and persecution, such as the …

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