From Global Refuge:  The Trump administration is formally announcing a refugee admissions ceiling of just 7,500 people for Fiscal Year 2026 — the lowest in U.S. history — while primarily using those limited slots for Afrikaners from South Africa.

The Presidential Determination, to be published Oct. 31 in the Federal Register, cites Executive Order 14204, which explicitly prioritizes Afrikaners for resettlement, and references other executive orders that restrict refugee entry and narrow eligibility. Global Refuge, one of the nation’s largest refugee resettlement organizations, continued to express grave concern that the new framework represents a profound break from decades of bipartisan policy guided by humanitarian need, not ideology or identity.

“This decision doesn’t just lower the refugee admissions ceiling. It lowers our moral standing,” said Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, President & CEO of Global Refuge. “For more than four decades, the U.S. refugee program has been a lifeline for families fleeing war, persecution, and repression. At a time of crisis in countries ranging from Afghanistan to Venezuela to Sudan and beyond, concentrating the vast majority of admissions on one group undermines the program’s purpose as well as its credibility.”

The Presidential Determination marks a continuation of policies that have sharply curtailed refugee resettlement since January, when the administration first suspended admissions under Executive Order 14163. Despite ongoing litigation, tens of thousands of refugees who had already undergone exhaustive vetting by the U.S. government remain stranded abroad. Many had sold their belongings, vacated housing, and quit jobs in anticipation of travel that was abruptly halted.

Even for those able to arrive, federal support has been significantly weakened. In recent months, the administration shortened the duration of cash and medical assistance for newly arrived refugees and, under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), eliminated access to key federal programs such as SNAP, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) — ending decades of guaranteed access to food and health coverage for lawfully-admitted refugees.

“Refugee families are ready to rebuild their lives and give back to the communities that welcome them,” Vignarajah said. “But without a fair chance at protection and a consistent baseline of initial assistance, we risk creating a system that fails both those seeking refuge and the nation that promised it.”

Global Refuge emphasized that the FY26 ceiling diverges from the United States’ longstanding role as a global humanitarian leader and violates both the spirit of the Refugee Act of 1980 and the ancient moral calling shared across religious traditions to welcome the stranger and protect those fleeing persecution.

“Offering refuge is an act of faith — faith in people, in second chances, and in our shared humanity,” continued Vignarajah. “That faith has shaped America’s story for generations, and turning away from it now would be a betrayal of both our history and our hope.”

With the federal government shut down, and no re-opening date in sight, states are not receiving the federal funding they need to help low-income families afford their utility bills. At a time when bills are skyrocketing and budgets are extra strained, this lack of assistance could lead to missed payments and utility shut-offs. A lack of electricity for light, heating, or cooling is dangerous and can even be deadly during extreme weather events. LEAN is urging utilities not to shut off power during the shutdown.

Swipe to learn more about the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, known as LIHEAP, and how the lack of federal resources during the shutdown is having real-world impacts.

This bill makes an appropriation to the Outdoor Education and Recreation Grant Program Account. With this investment, Nevada students will have more equitable access to outdoor education opportunities—helping ensure that every student, regardless of background, can learn, explore, and thrive in Nevada’s great outdoors.

Climate change does not affect everyone equally. Across Nevada, frontline communities, lower-income neighborhoods, rural counties, communities of color, Indigenous communities, face disproportionate burdens.

Here are key impacts and realities:

• Heat stress and extreme heat days are rising, putting seniors, children, outdoor workers, and unhoused neighbors at greater peril
• Water scarcity and shifting precipitation reduce access to clean water; in some Native American households, lack of indoor plumbing is more frequent than the national average
• Wildfire smoke affects air quality, undermining health, especially asthma and respiratory conditions, in neighborhoods already burdened by pollution
• Flooding, infrastructure strain, and storm extremes destabilize communities without robust resources
• Economic hardship deepens: cooling costs rise, agricultural livelihoods shrink, utility bills climb

We are taught to care for the vulnerable, protect the stranger, steward the earth. Our moral purpose demands that we turn our faith into climate justice action.

Step into the work: volunteer on resilience projects, advocate for clean energy policies, support affected neighborhoods, lift your voice for justice.

Nevada Day honors the milestone of our statehood when Nevada became the 36th state.
Today, we celebrate our history and the resilient, independent spirit that continues to shape the Silver State.
At LEAN, we remain committed to advocating for the common good and for a Nevada where all can thrive.