The President Has Been Executing The Program For White South Africans While Canceling Refugee Programs For Other Groups
Donald Trump is moving forward with a refugee program focused on white South Africans, even as his administration has restricted refugee pathways for other groups.
More than 6,000 people have been admitted to the United States with refugee status since October, and all but three were from South Africa, according to reporting from The Washington Post. The administration now plans to add about 10,000 more Afrikaners to reach the State Department’s goal of 17,500.
The Trump White South African Refugee Program comes after the president repeatedly claimed white South Africans, particularly white farmers, are facing persecution and “genocide” in South Africa. The South African government has rejected that claim, and researchers have found that violent crime in the country affects people of all races.
Trump Claims White Farmers Are Being Targeted
Trump has defended the refugee program by claiming white farmers are being targeted because of their race. The claim is largely tied to his interpretation of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s land policy, which was designed to address long standing land inequality in the country.
In 2017, South Africa’s government reported that 72 percent of agricultural land was owned by white South Africans, who make up about 7 percent of the population. Black South Africans, who make up the majority of the country’s population, owned about 4 percent of agricultural land.
Trump has described Ramaphosa’s land reform efforts as an attack on white South Africans. South Africa, which is about 80 percent Black, has been led by Black presidents since 1994, beginning with Nelson Mandela after the end of apartheid.
The South African government has denied Trump’s claims and pushed back on the idea that white South Africans are facing a genocide.
Chrispin Phiri, a spokesperson for South Africa’s international relations department, told the Associated Press in October that “the claim of a ‘white genocide’ in South Africa is widely discredited and unsupported by reliable evidence.”
Researchers have also found that violent attacks in South Africa, including attacks involving farmers, affect people across racial groups. The broader issue, officials have said, is violent crime, not a government backed campaign against white South Africans.
Program Expands While Other Refugee Pathways Remain Limited
The White House initially aimed to admit 7,500 South Africans through the program. On Monday, the administration said it would add 10,000 more to that target, citing what it called “unforeseen developments in South Africa” and an “emergency refugee situation.”
The move stands in sharp contrast to Trump’s broader immigration agenda. When he returned to office in 2025, his administration suspended the Refugee Admissions Program, limiting access for many people fleeing war, political violence and humanitarian crises.
Now, the administration is carving out a special pathway for white South Africans while other refugee groups continue to face restrictions. Critics say the policy reflects a political preference rather than a consistent humanitarian standard.
Trump And Ramaphosa Meeting Highlighted Tensions
Ramaphosa met with Trump at the White House last May as tensions between the two countries grew. During the meeting, Trump and administration officials showed printed articles and a five minute video as evidence that white farmers were being persecuted in South Africa.
Some of the information presented during that meeting was later found to be false. Still, the administration continued to defend the refugee program and moved to expand it.
The Trump White South African Refugee Program has become one of the clearest examples of how the administration is reshaping refugee policy. While many refugees remain blocked or delayed, white South Africans have been given a direct route into the United States under claims South Africa says are not supported by evidence.
