President Donald Trump’s bold move to resettle Afrikaner refugees from South Africa signals a seismic shift in U.S. immigration policy. His administration, fed up with what it calls racially charged persecution abroad, is throwing open the doors to thousands fleeing South Africa’s turmoil.
The Daily Caller reported that the Trump administration aims to bring in thousands of Afrikaner refugees by late summer, following an executive order signed in February that prioritizes their resettlement.
This order accuses South Africa of fueling violence against landowners and enforcing policies that crush equal opportunity in jobs, schools, and businesses. In one fell swoop, it also slashed aid to Pretoria, proving actions have consequences.
In early May, 59 Afrikaners landed in the U.S., a small but symbolic first wave before a Trump-Ramaphosa summit later that month.
By Friday, nine more arrived in Atlanta, joining the growing trickle of refugees. With over 50,000 applications piling up, the State Department is betting on a flood by summer’s end.
“We won’t be talking about dozens of arrivals, but hundreds and perhaps thousands,” a State Department official told the Daily Caller.
That’s not just optimism—it’s a plan to scale up fast, with the official adding they’re confident in hitting warp speed by late summer. Meanwhile, the left’s already crying foul, claiming this prioritizes one group over others.
The executive order doesn’t mince words: South Africa’s government is accused of sponsoring race-based discrimination, including property seizures that hit Afrikaners hardest.
“People have suffered attacks on their farms that were racially motivated,” the State Department official said. It’s a grim picture, and Trump’s team argues it justifies giving these refugees a lifeline.
But not everyone’s on board with this humanitarian pivot. Episcopal Migration Services, the Episcopal Church’s refugee arm, abruptly ended its federal partnership after Trump’s order kicked in. Helping persecuted farmers doesn’t align with their progressive gospel.
Church World Service, another Christian outfit, took a different tack, saying they’re willing to help Afrikaners but grumbling about “preferential treatment.”
Their complaint smells like the usual woke whining—equity over fairness, as if persecution claims should wait in line for diversity points. Still, their willingness to assist keeps the door cracked open.
Every Afrikaner admitted so far has proven a persecution claim, according to the State Department. “Everyone who has been admitted to the United States thus far … has demonstrated a persecution claim,” the official noted. That’s a high bar, but it’s one these refugees are clearing with ease.
The backlog of 50,000-plus applications is a logistical nightmare, and it’s only growing. With numbers expected to surge, the administration is gearing up for a massive operation. It’s a gamble that could redefine refugee policy—or spark a firestorm.
Trump’s executive order isn’t just about refugees; it’s a geopolitical jab. Cutting aid to South Africa sends a clear message: discriminatory policies won’t get a free pass. Pretoria’s leaders might want to rethink their playbook before the U.S. tightens the screws further.
The Afrikaner resettlement push has already drawn battle lines at home. Critics argue it’s a MAGA stunt to rile up the base, but that ignores the documented violence and property grabs these refugees face. Dismissing their plight as “preferential” reeks of the same elitism the left claims to oppose.
“I would feel confident in saying that … towards the second half of summer, we’ll start to massively scale this up,” the State Department official predicted. That timeline’s ambitious, but it’s classic Trump: go big or go home. The question is whether the infrastructure can keep pace with the rhetoric.
For now, the numbers are small—59 in May, nine more on Friday—but the intent is clear. The administration sees Afrikaners as victims of a government gone rogue, stripped of land and safety for their race. It’s a narrative that resonates with conservatives tired of seeing victimhood monopolized by the left’s pet causes.
Yet the push isn’t without risks. Scaling up to thousands by summer’s end could strain resources and inflame tensions with groups like Episcopal Migration Services, which’ve already bailed. The Church World Service’s begrudging support might not hold if the backlog keeps ballooning.
