Next week, the U.S. will start recognizing a group of South African presidents, with the Trump administration asserting it’s facing “racism.”
“Refugee programs weren’t designed to solve global poverty, and they have historically been misused for that purpose…this illustrates the president’s focus on their intended use,” said a senior administration official.
“What’s unfolding in South Africa perfectly aligns with the definition of the persecution that refugee programs were established to address…racial-based persecution,” noted Miller, the administration’s top immigration strategist, during a press briefing. This statement followed reports that at least 50 individuals from Africa would be brought to the U.S. from Johannesburg.
About 60 Africans are set to land at Dulles International Airport on Monday; this was prepared in conjunction with reports from the Washington Post, which cited documents and emails obtained along with insights from three officials familiar with the situation.
The families are reportedly going to resettle across ten different states, as per unnamed sources associated with the plan.
In February, Trump signed an executive order halting all assistance to South Africa while instructing his administration to create a resettlement program for Africans claiming to be victims of “unfair racism.”
Both Trump and other key U.S. officials have criticized South Africa’s expropriation law, enacted by President Cyril Ramaphosa, contending that it infringes on human rights and represents illegal land confiscation.
The South African government has firmly rebuffed these accusations.
“We maintain that claims of discrimination are baseless. South Africa’s police data on farm-related crimes do not validate assertions of widespread or race-targeted violent offenses. There are adequate structures in place to address discrimination issues,” stated a government spokesperson on Friday.
“Moreover, even if there are claims of discrimination, we believe they do not reach the necessary level of persecution under national and international refugee guidelines,” added the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation.
Two months ago, Trump reiterated his commitment to facilitating the resettlement of South African farmers in the U.S.
“To further this, we’re offering farmers from South Africa—and their families!—an expedited path to citizenship in the U.S. out of concern for their safety,” Trump declared in early March.
The news regarding the arrival of Africans in the U.S. has drawn criticism from certain Democratic lawmakers.
“Trump and Musk seem intent on granting refugee status to 60 white South Africans who don’t actually need it, while simultaneously locking up and deporting refugees genuinely facing peril in other nations,” remarked Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) in a post on X. “This is a disturbing global apartheid policy pushed by this administration,” he added.
