Significant changes have been made to refugee law, resulting in a substantially lower 2026 refugee resettlement cap, travel bans, loss of benefits such as SNAP, higher rates of detainment, and increased fear among refugee populations in the U.S.
According to Global Refuge, the Trump administration formally announced a refugee admissions ceiling of only 7,500 people for fiscal year 2026—compared to 125,000 in 2025.
These limited slots will be used primarily for refugees from South Africa, in accordance with Executive Order 14204, which explicitly prioritizes Afrikaners for resettlement.
The administration has also enforced travel bans, initiating a “fully restricted” status for individuals from 19 countries—including Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Somalia, and Sudan—plus those with Palestinian Authority-issued documents, severely limiting or banning their entry into the U.S. The extended ban went into effect Jan. 1, 2026.
Since June 2025, the travel ban has been applied to refugees and family members of refugees from the impacted countries, with no waivers available for urgent humanitarian cases.
In addition to these limitations, refugees can no longer receive aid from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program. The program provided refugees with cash assistance to purchase groceries.
Terrence Bailey, Texas advocacy coordinator for World Relief Texas, a global humanitarian organization, shared the negative impact this has had on refugees in Texas:
“Refugees who arrive need to wait one year to apply for green cards, [or] permanent residence. This has always been the case. During that first year, they rely on SNAP while they work towards self-sufficiency. With the Big Beautiful Bill that was passed last summer, people who do not have permanent residence are no longer eligible for any SNAP benefits,” Bailey said.
In response, World Relief Texas has made efforts to connect refugee communities to other food banks and opportunities for free or low-cost food access. Churches have offered to step in, providing gift cards and grocery staples to families in need.
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Re-review results in more detentions
On Nov. 21, 2025, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Director Joe Edlow sent a memo providing a review of more than 200,000 lawfully admitted refugees who entered the U.S. between Jan. 20, 2021, and Feb. 20, 2025.
The memo also halted the processing of green card applications for refugees who entered during that period. The initiative involves the mandatory re-interviewing process of refugees by the USCIS to verify eligibility. The re-interviewing process increases the risk of deportation.
In the controversial Operation PARRIS, effective Jan. 9, 2026, USCIS targeted resettled refugees in Minnesota who arrived between 2021 and 2025 and have not secured lawful permanent resident status. Reports circulated of door-to-door arrests and detentions of resettled refugees, with many transferred out of state to detention centers in Texas.
Some were released in Texas outside detention facilities with no means to return to Minnesota or with little to no documentation. Bailey noted instances of Texas refugees being detained by ICE after attending USCIS appointments.
“We have heard reports of various individuals in the community, who are working towards their permanent residence, being detained by ICE after going to appointments at USCIS. This has caused a ripple of fear as people are trying their best to follow the legal processes offered,” Bailey said.
“With the detainments, it is making people second guess following through with appointments. Also, once detained, it is hard to find available legal representation to help present their cases before the judges,” he added.
As of 2025, Texas leads in ICE detentions, with an estimated 58,800 immigrants held in long-term ICE detention centers. Texas serves as a primary location for these centers.
Fear a major issue among refugees
According to Helen Cingpi, pastor and director of the refugee resource center Project: Start, fear is one of the primary issues gripping refugees in Texas.
“They are just frightened. … They’re scared. … They hear the news, [that] even though you’re a refugee … ICE can stop you or arrest you. … We encourage and pray with them. That is the main thing we can do,” Cingpi said.
As of May 2026, the USCIS has implemented efforts to remove Temporary Protected Status for several countries, including Afghanistan, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, Somalia, and Yemen.
Removal of TPS results in the loss of a refugee’s protection from deportation and their work authorization, reverting to their previous immigration status, which for many is undocumented.
For refugee churches, this causes immediate instability, as members may face deportation, lose their livelihoods, and fear being separated from U.S.-born children.
“There’s a lot of uncertainty and fear simply because of all the changes, and that they happen so quickly. … The president can just decide something, and it immediately goes into effect,” Linda Howell, specialist with Texas Baptists’ Intercultural Ministries, said.
There is also a growing fear of profiling or erroneous detainment, Howell explained. Those who do not speak English as a first language fear being pulled over and potentially detained by ICE during a routine traffic stop, or profiling in other ways.
Sanctuary revoked, compassion remains
Following Executive Order 14287, the Department of Justice identified numerous states and cities—including California, New York, and Illinois—as sanctuary jurisdictions, with threats to withhold federal funding.
The Trump administration rescinded the 2021 “Protected Areas” policy, allowing ICE agents to conduct enforcement actions at sensitive locations like churches without supervisor approval.
“There’s an overall fear in the church. … The church [used to be] a sanctuary place, and it’s not anymore” Howell said.
Churches once serving as safe havens from immigration authorities now face higher risks of federal agents arresting migrants and refugees within their walls, increasing fear among refugee congregations seeking sanctuary and keeping some groups from attending church.
The changes have also resulted in more limited support programs, with World Relief Texas assistance shrinking from eight to 12 months of aid to only four, inhibiting the timeliness of document processing. Despite the fear and legislative modifications, churches and community groups have stepped up to help those in need.
“These are just some of the ways refugees and other immigrants in our communities across Texas have been impacted. We have been grateful for our churches, volunteers, and donors who have stepped in over the last year in incredible ways to walk alongside our vulnerable neighbors, offering rent support, friendship, a grocery gift card, and constant prayer,” Bailey said.
“Our refugee neighbors have been resilient before ever stepping foot on U.S. soil, and they remain resilient despite all of the challenges we’ve seen in recent days,” he said.
