On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump issued a directive instructing administration officials to prioritize the resettlement of white South African Afrikaners under the U.S. refugee program. This move comes despite the initial suspension of the program at the start of his presidency.
In an executive order, Trump accused the South African government of discriminating against Afrikaners, an ethnic community primarily descended from European immigrants, particularly the Dutch, who settled in South Africa in the 17th century. According to CBS News, the president claimed that these white South Africans are now being persecuted by their government.
The order references a controversial South African land reform law, which some American conservatives, including billionaire Elon Musk—himself a South African native—see as an attempt to racially expropriate land owned by white citizens. However, the South African government has strongly denied these allegations, stating that the law only targets unused or underutilized land for public benefit, CBS News reports.
In his directive, Trump instructed Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem to “prioritize humanitarian assistance, including admission and resettlement through the U.S. refugee program, for Afrikaners facing unjust racial discrimination in South Africa” (CBS News).
However, the implementation of this order remains uncertain, as the Trump administration had previously halted refugee admissions, arguing that their resettlement posed a burden on American communities.
The U.S. refugee program has historically been designed to offer protection to individuals fleeing persecution based on ethnicity, religion, political beliefs, or other specific factors. According to CBS News, a significant portion of refugees admitted to the U.S. come from conflict-ridden regions, particularly in Africa and Asia.
As part of this new immigration policy shift, Trump has also frozen all U.S. financial aid to South Africa until the land reform law is repealed. According to CBS News, this decision raises concerns about the future of the PEPFAR program, which funds HIV treatment for millions, including children, across Africa.
Despite a recent intervention by Secretary of State Marco Rubio to lift some restrictions and allow PEPFAR and other health initiatives to continue, CBS News notes that delays persist in aid distribution.
Beyond the issue of racial discrimination, Trump also criticized South Africa’s diplomatic stance toward the U.S. and its allies. He specifically condemned Pretoria’s case filed at the International Court of Justice, accusing Israel of genocide against Palestinians.
Trump’s decision to apply a selective approach to refugee admissions marks a significant shift in U.S. foreign policy and could have major consequences for diplomatic relations between Washington and Pretoria.
For many, Trump’s decision to freeze aid to South Africa is seen as a form of punishment against the South African government for initiating proceedings at the International Criminal Court (ICC), which led to the indictment of the Israeli Prime Minister for war crimes. The ICC has indeed issued an arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu on these charges.
According to Hamas authorities, nearly 45,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel during its military campaign against Hamas, launched in response to the October 7, 2023, attack, which, according to the Israeli government, resulted in over 1,200 deaths in Israel.