UPI: “First group of South African refugees arrives in U.S. under Trump’s plan for White ‘Afrikaners'”
President Trump has suspended refugee admissions. However, the administration yesterday admitted a small number of “refugees,” white South Africans.
UPI reports that 49 White South African “Afrikaners” granted refugee status by President Donald Trump arrived in the United States yesterday. The private flight reportedly was paid for by the U.S. government.
The South Africans will be resettled in Texas, Minnesota, Nevada and Idaho.
The State Department Press release announcing the South Africans’ arrival states that
“Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau welcomed the first group of Afrikaner refugees to the United States.
This tremendous accomplishment, at the direction of Secretary Rubio, responds to President Trump’s call to prioritize U.S. refugee resettlement of this vulnerable group facing unjust racial discrimination in South Africa.
Today, the United States sends a clear message, in alignment with the administration’s America First foreign policy agenda, that America will take action to protect victims of racial discrimination. We stand with these refugees as they build a better future for themselves and their children in the United States.
No one should have to fear having their property seized without compensation or becoming the victim of violent attacks because of their ethnicity. In the coming months, we will continue to welcome more Afrikaner refugees and help them rebuild their lives in our great country.”
In an executive order in February (Addressing Egregious Actions of The Republic of South Africa), President Trump stated
“Section 1. Purpose. In shocking disregard of its citizens’ rights, the Republic of South Africa (South Africa) recently enacted Expropriation Act 13 of 2024 (Act), to enable the government of South Africa to seize ethnic minority Afrikaners’ agricultural property without compensation. This Act follows countless government policies designed to dismantle equal opportunity in employment, education, and business, and hateful rhetoric and government actions fueling disproportionate violence against racially disfavored landowners. In addition, South Africa has taken aggressive positions towards the United States and its allies, including accusing Israel, not Hamas, of genocide in the International Court of Justice, and reinvigorating its relations with Iran to develop commercial, military, and nuclear arrangements.
The United States cannot support the government of South Africa’s commission of rights violations in its country or its ‘undermining United States foreign policy, which poses national security threats to our Nation, our allies, our African partners, and our interests.
Sec. 2. Policy. It is the policy of the United States that, as long as South Africa continues these unjust and immoral practices that harm our Nation:
(a) the United States shall not provide aid or assistance to South Africa; and
(b) the United States shall promote the resettlement of Afrikaner refugees escaping government-sponsored race-based discrimination, including racially discriminatory property confiscation.”
KJ