Whites-Only Group RTTL Plans Expansion to Missouri – But This Isn’t New
A controversial group known as Return to the Land (RTTL)—which limits membership to individuals of European ancestry and excludes Jews—is looking to expand from its Arkansas compound to a new site near Springfield, Missouri, according to group co-founder Eric Orwoll.
Founded in 2023, RTTL calls itself a “private member association” and operates on a 160-acre base in northern Arkansas. Orwoll says the group’s aim is to establish a network of whites-only communities across the U.S., offering services such as homeschooling, healthcare, legal assistance, and recreation—all exclusively for white members.
“We want to ensure that White Americans who value their ancestry will have the ability to live among like-minded people,” Orwoll said, claiming RTTL offers an alternative to demographic shifts in America.
What People Have to Say “This Isn’t New”
Online reaction to RTTL’s Missouri plans has been swift—and dismissive.
“They want people to care so bad 🤣😂,” one user posted on X, formerly Twitter, mocking the group’s desire for attention.
Another wrote, “This is not a new idea. It’s just ‘sundown town’ repackaged.”
The prevailing sentiment across social media is that RTTL’s concept is less groundbreaking and more a throwback to an old American tradition of segregation—one that many assumed was buried decades ago.
They want people to care so bad 🤣😂 pic.twitter.com/PXtBscFoql
— Mama Dolittle 🐿 (@herchosenpath) July 28, 2025
ADL and Missouri Democrats Condemn RTTL as a Hate Group
Civil rights organizations and local officials quickly denounced the group’s expansion plans.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) called RTTL’s actions “a revival of segregation” and warned that whites-only housing likely violates the Fair Housing Act and other anti-discrimination laws.
“We urge local and state officials to act swiftly to ensure that northeast Arkansas and Missouri remain inclusive communities, not refuges for exclusion and bigotry,” said Lindsay Baach Friedmann, ADL South Central Regional Director.
Missouri Democrats also issued a forceful response.
“This is our home. Your hate has no place here,” said Chelsea Rodriguez, communications director for the Missouri Democratic Party. “Missouri families are fed up with the fringe extremism Missouri Republicans keep inviting into their communities.”
A Network Rooted in Exclusion
According to RTTL’s statements, membership is evaluated on “shared European ancestry,” and the group explicitly bars people of color and Jewish individuals from joining.
Orwoll argues that their model is legal because the organization doesn’t sell land to the public and operates under the guise of a private association. “Whites should have the ability to live among their own people if that’s what they want,” he said.
Critics reject this claim, warning that such racially exclusive communities echo Jim Crow-era segregation and contradict federal civil rights protections.
Legal Challenges Likely Ahead
Despite Orwoll’s claims that RTTL is operating within its legal rights by not selling land publicly, housing law experts argue otherwise.
The Fair Housing Act of 1968 bars racial discrimination in housing—including many private transactions. Legal scholars suggest that even as a private association, RTTL’s racially exclusive model may not withstand judicial scrutiny.
With Springfield being a racially and politically mixed city, the group’s expansion is expected to face mounting legal pressure, potential lawsuits, and public protests. Civil rights organizations are already preparing for challenges ahead.
