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yesterday

South Africa Raids U.S.-Linked Refugee Center, Deports 7 Kenyans as U.S. Protests

U.S. officials allege harassment including a passport data leak, a claim Pretoria disputes.

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Members of the South African Police Services stand next to an armoured vehicle outside the Cape Town Convention Centre, on the eve of the first sitting of the newly elected South African Parliament, in Cape Town, on June 13, 2024. (Photo by Rodger BOSCH / AFP)
An American flag and a "Make South Africa Great Again" sign are displayed at a demonstration, held by White South Africans who support US President Donald Trump, in front of the US Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, on February 15, 2025
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Overview

  • Home Affairs says seven Kenyan nationals working at the Johannesburg site on tourist visas were arrested, given deportation orders and five‑year bans, and have now left the country.
  • South Africa maintains no U.S. officials were arrested, while a USCIS official says two refugee officers were briefly detained and released.
  • Washington demanded clarification and warned of consequences over the alleged doxxing of U.S. officials’ passport information and the treatment of its personnel.
  • Pretoria has opened formal diplomatic engagements with the United States and Kenya following the operation, which it described as an intelligence‑driven enforcement of immigration law.
  • The processing center supports President Trump’s policy prioritizing Afrikaner refugee admissions, run through RSC Africa operated by Church World Service after prior South African work‑visa requests for Kenyan staff were denied.