World Relief is calling on the Trump administration to raise the cap on the admission of Christian refugees to the United States. In a letter signed by nearly 3,500 evangelical Christians, the Christian humanitarian organization strongly urges the president to “prioritize Christians and members of other religious minorities fleeing religious persecution.”

This was reported by Church Leaders.

As is known, in January 2025 Trump signed an executive order suspending the U.S. refugee admissions program. He subsequently set historically low limits on the number of refugees admitted to the country, while making a notable exception for Afrikaners, South Africa’s white population.

Meanwhile, according to Open Doors’ 2026 World Watch List (“List of Countries Where Christians Are Persecuted”) report, vast numbers of Christians around the world, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia, are at risk of violence and death at the hands of persecutors.

By some estimates, as many as 388 million Christians worldwide face severe forms of persecution and discrimination. Since the current U.S. refugee admissions system was established in 1980, the country has admitted an average of 73,500 refugees a year, with the annual ceiling reaching as high as 200,000 in some years.

Nevertheless, the Trump administration intends to set the refugee admissions cap for 2027 at 17,500, with Afrikaners expected to make up the majority.

In its letter to the president, World Relief noted that one of the primary ways the United States champions religious freedom is by providing refuge to those persecuted for their faith in other countries.

“We urge you to once again prioritize Christians and members of other religious minorities fleeing religious persecution. As you set the annual refugee admissions ceiling for fiscal year 2027, we ask you to reaffirm your commitment to religious freedom worldwide and make the admission of refugees persecuted for their religious beliefs a top priority,” the letter states.

As LF reported, members of the White House Religious Liberty Commission presented President Donald Trump with their final report following an extensive investigation into threats to faith in the United States.