Overview

• Fifty-nine white South African Afrikaners arrived in the U.S. on May 12 under a Trump executive order granting them expedited refugee status.
• South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and police data refute claims of racial persecution or genocide against white farmers, citing broader crime issues affecting all racial groups.
• Critics, including faith groups and refugee advocates, have condemned the preferential treatment of Afrikaners while refugee programs for other vulnerable populations remain suspended.
• The Episcopal Church’s migration ministry has refused to assist in resettling the Afrikaners, citing its commitment to racial justice and opposition to the policy's double standard.
• The Trump administration has defended its decision, citing land expropriation laws in South Africa, though no land has yet been seized, and critics argue the policy is politically motivated.