In a move already sparking heated debate, the Trump administration is preparing to receive the first group of white South African farmers who have been granted refugee status in the United States. The group, composed of members of the Afrikaner ethnic minority, is expected to arrive next week at Washington Dulles International Airport, according to internal documents obtained by The New York Times and The Lever.
This policy shift marks a significant—and controversial—moment in U.S. refugee resettlement. It comes amid ongoing tensions between President Donald Trump and the South African government over its land reform policies, which seek to redistribute farmland from white landowners to Black South Africans as part of efforts to correct apartheid-era imbalances.
According to an April 30 memo from the Office of Refugee Resettlement, officials requested urgent clearance from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide immediate support for what they referred to as “vulnerable incoming Afrikaner refugees.” The requested services include housing, healthcare access, and other resettlement resources.
The memo underscores a humanitarian rationale for the move, citing “racially motivated threats and economic disenfranchisement” facing the applicants in South Africa. However, critics argue the decision is less about humanitarian aid and more about ideology.
While the White House and HHS have not publicly commented on the development, sources say more than 30 refugee applicants from South Africa have already passed initial interviews, with a broader wave of approvals expected in the coming months.
The Trump administration’s push to prioritize white South African farmers for resettlement first gained traction following outcry from conservative commentators and public figures—including Elon Musk—who accused the South African government of orchestrating targeted land seizures against white landowners. Trump amplified the narrative, tweeting about the “large-scale killing of farmers,” despite little verified evidence supporting claims of state-sponsored persecution.
Also, read: Conservation Charity Linked to Prince Harry Acknowledges Human Rights Abuses in Congo Park
South African officials, for their part, have consistently denied any systematic targeting of white farmers. In response to the U.S. plan, government spokespeople reiterated that land reform efforts are being conducted through constitutional and legal means, and called for independent investigations into farm-related violence.
“Our policies are about restoring dignity and justice—not discrimination,” said a spokesperson for South Africa’s Ministry of Land Reform. “The portrayal of white farmers as victims of racial persecution is misleading and harmful.”
The move has triggered intense backlash from human rights groups and immigration advocates, who say it reflects a racially skewed application of refugee policy. Critics have pointed out that the Trump administration actively curtailed refugee admissions from war-torn regions such as Syria, Sudan, and Central America—areas with far higher levels of violence and displacement.
“This sends a dangerous message,” said Marisol Gomez, an immigration advocate based in New York. “By selectively fast-tracking white applicants while slamming the door on people of color fleeing war and poverty, the administration is reinforcing deeply rooted racial disparities in U.S. immigration policy.”
Whether the arrival of white South African refugees will expand into a broader pipeline remains unclear. But what is certain is that the decision has reopened debates about who gets to be seen as vulnerable—and who is granted refuge—when U.S. immigration policy intersects with global politics and race.
For now, as the first arrivals touch down in Virginia next week, the controversy surrounding their journey is just beginning.
