A new report from World Relief and Open Doors US says the United States is on track to finish fiscal year 2026 without resettling any refugees from the 50 countries identified by Open Doors as the most severe environments for Christian persecution.
The report, released Sept. 3, examines refugee admissions and asylum outcomes alongside Open Doors’ 2026 World Watch List. World Relief and Open Doors say the current fiscal year could be the first on record in which no refugees from those top 50 countries were resettled through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. Christianity Today independently reported on the findings Sept. 4.
The organizations also argue that, based on available admissions data, the United States appears to have resettled no refugees this fiscal year who were fleeing specifically because of religious persecution. Their conclusion is based on the administration’s current refugee priorities and the backgrounds of the limited number of people admitted outside those priorities.
A Refugee Program Dramatically Narrowed
President Donald Trump suspended most admissions through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program shortly after returning to office, directing federal agencies to review whether continued refugee entry served the national interest. The order preserved authority for case-by-case exceptions.
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom noted in its 2026 annual report that the suspension halted processing for many refugees already in the pipeline, including religious minorities from countries such as Afghanistan, Burma, Eritrea and Iran. USCIRF recommended that the administration resume resettlement for people fleeing religious persecution.
The administration has defended tighter refugee and immigration controls as necessary for national security, vetting and broader immigration-policy goals. The debate now confronting Christians is how those concerns should be weighed alongside the long American tradition of providing refuge to people fleeing persecution because of their faith.
THRIVE! has previously covered the broader religious-freedom landscape, including the U.S. religious-freedom commission’s calls for stronger federal leadership and the legal pathways available for immigration to the United States.
Why This Matters to People of Faith
The question cuts across two convictions many Christians hold simultaneously: governments have a legitimate responsibility to protect their citizens and administer immigration law wisely, while believers are also repeatedly commanded to remember those who are persecuted and show hospitality to the vulnerable.
The numbers are especially striking because Open Doors estimates hundreds of millions of Christians around the world experience high levels of persecution and discrimination. Not every persecuted believer will qualify for U.S. refugee resettlement, and the United States cannot receive everyone displaced by conflict or repression. But the report raises a narrower question: whether people fleeing specifically because of religious persecution should remain a meaningful priority in U.S. refugee policy.
THRIVE! Perspective
Christians do not have to pretend that border security, vetting or immigration capacity are simple issues. Scripture recognizes the role of government and the need for ordered civic life. The Bible consistently commands God’s people not to become indifferent to the stranger, the displaced and the persecuted. Thus the need for modern missions, where even if they can’t be accepted in the United States, the church can send aid and messangers to assist. Ministries like Crisis Response International and World Vision are two on the front lines of global relief and aid.
Hebrews 13:3 tells believers to remember those in prison and those who are mistreated as though suffering with them. Leviticus 19:34 commands Israel to love the foreigner living among them as themselves.
