Trump Accepts White South African Refugees While Blocking Others
Since Donald Trump’s return to the presidency, the initial refugee intake into the U.S. has taken an unexpected turn. Upon resuming office, Trump halted all refugee admissions, disrupting resettlement plans for countless individuals escaping persecution and violence. However, 18 days later, he announced a special provision for white South Africans, citing their status as “victims of unjust racial discrimination.”
On Monday, the U.S. received a chartered flight of approximately 50 Afrikaners, signaling a significant shift in the U.S. refugee program. Trump’s directive specifically targeted Afrikaners, descendants of primarily Dutch colonial settlers who arrived in South Africa in the 17th century and governed the nation from 1948 to 1994 under apartheid laws.
Upon arrival at Dulles International Airport, the South Africans posed with American flags for the media and were greeted by Trump administration officials. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau welcomed them, stating, “You are really welcome here and we respect what you have had to deal with these last few years.” Landau described the Afrikaners as “quality seeds” that will “bloom” in the U.S., emphasizing their potential contributions, particularly those with farming backgrounds. “As you know—a lot of you I think are farmers, right—when you have quality seeds, you can put them in foreign soil and they will blossom. They will bloom,” Landau told the families. “We are excited to welcome you here to our country where we think you will bloom.”
Trump’s decision to prioritize Afrikaners was partially motivated by a 2024 South African law aimed at redistributing agricultural land, which is largely held by white South Africans.
“Farmers are being killed,” Trump stated on Monday when questioned by a TIME reporter about favoring Afrikaners over other refugees. “They happen to be white but whether they’re white or black makes no difference to me. But white farmers are being brutally killed and their land is being confiscated in South Africa.”
South African authorities refute Trump’s claims of persecution against white South African farmers. The Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation stated that police statistics on farm-related crimes do not indicate targeted violence against farmers or any particular race. They maintain that existing structures in South Africa can address discrimination concerns and that any alleged discrimination does not meet the threshold for persecution under refugee law.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller told reporters that the South African flight is part of a “much larger-scale relocation effort,” arguing that the Afrikaners’ situation “fits the textbook definition of why the refugee program was created.” Elon Musk, a prominent Trump supporter born in South Africa, has also advocated for U.S. protection for white South Africans against what he termed “white genocide” on his X platform.
Typically, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees vets refugees entering the U.S., referring those fleeing persecution to safer countries. However, the South African arrivals did not undergo this vetting process.
On Monday, the Episcopal Church declined a Trump administration request to assist in resettling the Afrikaners. The church, a long-time partner with the federal government through Episcopal Migration Ministries, cited the preferential treatment given to the Afrikaners as a reason for ceasing their refugee resettlement work. Rev. Sean W. Rowe, the presiding bishop, expressed disappointment that the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program has been “essentially shut down” since January, and lamented the denial of entry to refugees, including those who served with the U.S. military. Rowe wrote that the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program has been “essentially shut down” since January, and he was “saddened and ashamed” that many refugees denied entrance to the U.S. had served alongside the U.S. military in Iraq and Afghanistan and now face danger at home because of their service. “Jesus tells us to care for the poor and vulnerable as we would care for him, and we must follow that command,” Rowe wrote.
The Trump administration is projected to significantly reduce refugee admissions this year. In contrast, the Biden Administration admitted 100,034 refugees in the 2024 fiscal year, up from 60,014 in 2023 and 25,465 in 2022. U.S. Refugee Admissions Program data shows that during the 2024 fiscal year, the largest group of refugees came from Africa (34,017), followed by Asia (7,540), Europe and Central Asia (3,180), Latin America and the Caribbean (5,106), and the Near East and South Asia (10,003).
Bill Frelick, director of the refugee and migrants rights division of Human Rights Watch, argues that the Trump administration’s decision to limit refugee admissions to a select group of white South Africans undermines decades of U.S. efforts to welcome those in need. “It sends a message that unless you’re a member of a privileged group that the U.S. has a preference for, the door is closed to you entirely,” Frelick says.
Frelick emphasizes that the U.N. has established a system for identifying refugees “are most at risk and in need for resettlement.” He believes that by bypassing this system, the Trump Administration is “setting a terrible example to other countries around the world.”
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