White South Africans resettled in US under Trump refugee program

The Trump administration prioritized resettling white South Africans amid broader refugee restrictions, sparking criticism of racial bias. — Image credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

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Summary

Refugee program

The Trump administration resettled white South African refugees while suspending broader refugee programs.

Critics allege racial bias

Critics say the policy shows racial or political bias, as nearly 50,000 white South Africans expressed interest.

Trump's claims

President Trump has cited claims of a white farmer genocide, which South Africa’s president has denied.

Full story

Another group of white South Africans has arrived in the United States as part of the Trump administration’s refugee admissions program, The Associated Press reports. A total of nine individuals arrived in Atlanta during the week of May 25, Jaco Kleynhans, head of international liaison at the Solidarity Movement, told the AP.

Thousands expected to follow

The news comes after the Trump administration reportedly looks to resettle “thousands” of white South Africans, a U.S. State Department official revealed in a new report given to The Independent.

In mid-May, the Trump administration welcomed nearly 60 white Afrikaners to the United States after falsely claiming there’s a genocide of white farmers happening in South Africa and criticizing the South African government.

Trump confronted South African president

Days later, President Donald Trump also met with South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa in the White House and confronted the South African leader with allegations of genocide. Trump also claimed that the South African government is forcibly taking land from white farmers without compensation, a reference to the controversial land reform debate in South Africa.

Ramaphosa refuted the allegations, stating that there is no genocide occurring in South Africa against either white or Black citizens. Instead, he said there is a broader problem of crime that affects everyone in the country.

The number of white Afrikaner refugees is expected to increase significantly later this summer, specifically during the second half of the season, a U.S. government official told The Independent.

Exemptions amid broader restrictions

The Trump administration prioritized or sped up the process for resettling white South Africans in the U.S. At the same time, the administration put other refugee programs on hold.

The Trump administration had severely limited refugee admissions overall, often citing security or immigration control concerns. Critics argue that this raises concerns about racial or political bias in refugee policy.

The administration also ended asylum allowances for countries like Venezuela.

The U.S. State Department said last week it received nearly 50,000 inquiries from South Africans about the refugee resettlement program, The New York Times reported.

Mathew Grisham (Digital Producer) contributed to this report.

Tags: Africa, Crime, Donald Trump, Farming, Genocide, Refugees, South Africa

Why this story matters

The article highlights the Trump administration's acceptance and prioritization of white South African refugees amid broader restrictions on other refugee groups, raising questions about U.S. immigration policy and international human rights concerns.

Refugee policy

Changes in the U.S. refugee admissions approach under the Trump administration have led to selective resettlement policies, affecting which groups are able to seek asylum.

Allegations of bias

According to critics cited in the article, the prioritization of white South Africans while limiting other refugee groups has led to accusations of racial or political bias in U.S. immigration policy.

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Behind the numbers

According to multiple sources, about 8,000 applications have been processed for white South African refugees, with initial groups of 59 and then 9 arriving in the U.S. The South African white population is around 4.5 million, of whom approximately 2.7 million are Afrikaners. Official South African statistics indicate that, out of 26,232 murders last year, only 44 occurred in farming communities, with just few farmers as victims.

Context corner

South Africa’s land ownership and crime debates have roots in the legacy of apartheid, where most land remained white-owned. Efforts to address these disparities are ongoing. While crime is a serious issue across South Africa, research and human rights groups report no systemic campaign targeting white farmers, making the refugee policy highly controversial from a historical and cultural perspective.

Sources

Bias comparison

Media outlets on the left framed the resettlement of white South African refugees under the Trump administration as a racially charged and politically motivated “tool of white racial grievance,” emphasizing moral critique with phrases like “deeply wrong” and casting Trump’s “genocide” claims as baseless white nationalist rhetoric.
Not enough coverage from media outlets in the center to provide a bias comparison.
Media outlets on the right highlighted the program as a justified humanitarian response to purported “racially motivated violence,” using affirming terms like “fast-tracked resettlement” and focusing on concrete details such as the number of arrivals and ongoing applications, portraying the program as overdue recognition of Afrikaner plight.

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Media landscape

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47 total sources

Key points from the Left

A second group of white Afrikaners has arrived in the U.S. as part of a refugee program initiated by President Donald Trump, citing alleged violence and land expropriation in South Africa as factors for their relocation.
The U.S. State Department reported that they expect to resettle thousands more white South Africans by the end of summer, with ongoing inquiries from nearly 50,000 South Africans interested in the program.
Critics argue that the refugee policy selectively benefits a racially privileged group while ignoring larger humanitarian issues around the world.
Notable responses from the arrivals included individuals who left their homes for a 'safer future' and hope to continue farming in the U.S.

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Key points from the Center

A second group of nine white South Africans arrived in the United States under a refugee program announced by the Trump administration.
The first group of 59 white South Africans arrived at Dulles International Airport last month under the same program.
The Trump administration stated that refugee status is being offered to white South Africans who are believed to be persecuted.
Advocacy groups report about 8,000 applications for refugee status from South Africans, though exact figures from U.S. Officials are unavailable.

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Key points from the Right

A second group of nine white South Africans has arrived in the United States under a refugee program, according to Jaco Kleynhans of the Solidarity Movement.
An initial group of 59 white South Africans arrived last month at Dulles International Airport under the same program.
The Trump administration claims the refugee program is for white South Africans facing persecution by their Black-led government, which the South African government denies.
Approximately 8,000 applications have been reported for the resettlement program, with refugees still arriving from South Africa, according to the U.S. Embassy.

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