The Afrikaners, descendants of the former apartheid ruling class, claim they are fleeing race-based violence and land seizures in South Africa.
Fifty-nine white South Africans arrived at Dulles International Airport on Monday, greeted by U.S. officials under a Trump administration order granting them refugee status.
The Afrikaners, descendants of the former apartheid ruling class, claim they are fleeing race-based violence and land seizures in South Africa.
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said, “They tell quite harrowing stories of the violence that they faced in South Africa.” Trump’s executive order halting most refugee admissions made an exception for Afrikaners, citing the need to protect them from “government-sponsored race-based discrimination.”
South African officials rejected the claim. “It is most regrettable… this is politically motivated,” said Chrispin Phiri, spokesperson for South Africa’s Ministry of International Relations.
Trump defended the decision: “Farmers are being killed. They happen to be white.” The Episcopal Church declined to resettle the group, calling the selection racially unjust.
Experts warn the move could escalate racial tensions. “Trump has gone beyond reality,” said historian Thula Simpson.