Trump Prioritizes Resettlement of European-descended South Africans in U.S.
TL/DR –
President Trump has ordered US officials to resettle South Africans of European descent as refugees, stating they face unjust racial discrimination in South Africa. He also cut off aid and assistance to South Africa due to a controversial land reform law, which he claimed allowed racially motivated seizures of land owned by white South Africans. It is still unclear how the resettlement plan will be implemented given that Trump suspended the entire US refugee program on his first day in office.
Trump Prioritizes Resettlement of White South Africans
President Trump has urged officials to prioritize the resettlement of South Africans of European descent via the U.S. refugee program, suspended since his initial day in office.
Trump’s executive order alleges discrimination by the South African government against Afrikaners, descendants of European colonists mainly from the Netherlands. He cites a controversial land-reform law which he and others, including South African-born billionaire Elon Musk, claim allows racially motivated seizures of land owned by white South Africans.
South Africa has strongly refuted these allegations, asserting the law in question targets unused land or land not serving public interest.
In his order, Trump directed Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to “prioritize humanitarian relief” for Afrikaners subject to “unjust racial discrimination”. However, the implementation timeline remains uncertain due to Trump’s halt on refugee arrivals.
In a previous executive order, Trump argued refugees were burdensome on receiving communities, vowing to restart the program only if it served U.S. interests. There are provisions in Trump’s order for case-by-case exemptions to the refugee arrival freeze.
The U.S. refugee program is designed to offer sanctuary to individuals abroad fleeing persecution due to their race, religion, political opinions, or other factors. Refugees are typically referred by United Nations officials and undergo extensive interviews and medical checks in third countries before they are allowed entry into the U.S.
Trump’s order also discontinues any aid to South Africa as long as its land-reform law exists. This raises queries about the U.S.’ AIDS response program, PEPFAR, which provides HIV treatment to millions of adults and children, predominantly in Africa. The administration previously froze all foreign aid that included international medical and humanitarian efforts. A waiver to resume PEPFAR and other programs has been issued, but aid distribution has been delayed.
Besides the racial discrimination charges, Trump also accused South Africa of taking “aggressive positions” towards the U.S. and allies, referencing the case South Africa brought to the International Court of Justice alleging Israel’s genocide against Palestinians.
Margaret Brennan contributed to this report.
Camilo Montoya-Galvez is CBS News’ immigration reporter, covering immigration policy and politics in Washington.
—
Read More US Political News