Trump administration plans for relocating white South African residents detailed in document
Host:
President Trump's agenda includes mass deportations and shutting down refugee resettlement programs for countries like Afghanistan, Congo, and Syria. But there's one group he's welcoming: white South Africans. In fact, he's even issued an executive order offering them refugee status. Katya Schwenk, reporter for The Lever, uncovered a memo detailing the Trump administration's plan to help them. Let's hear what she found.
Katya Schwenk:
Good morning! Thanks for having me.
Host:
Of course! So Katya, you managed to get your hands on this memo. What did it reveal?
Katya Schwenk:
Well, it turns out the Trump administration is using a bit of a workaround to resettle these white South Africans in the U.S., despite the current chaos in the refugee resettlement system. We managed to access an internal memo from the Department of Health and Human Services and speak to a government source familiar with the situation. Essentially, we found that the Trump administration is deploying emergency authority by bypassing typical protocol, using the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to assist these Afrikaners.
Host:
You mentioned the ORR. How is the Administration doing this through that office?
Katya Schwenk:
Typically, the ORR works with various nonprofits, faith-based organizations, and government contractors that are part of the resettlement process. However, many of these entities were forced to close their doors due to the Trump administration halting these programs. This memo shows that the ORR is requesting emergency authority to provide direct assistance to white South Africans entering the U.S. Additionally, they're utilizing funds normally reserved for extremely vulnerable refugees to resettle these South Africans.
Host:
What did the Department of Health and Human Services say about your findings?
Katya Schwenk:
Initially, they didn't respond to our questions. But after we published our story, they did provide some confirmation. They admitted that special funds, known as the Preferred Communities program, allocated for at-risk refugee populations, are indeed being tapped by the Trump administration. The memo mentioned that the first group of white South Africans was scheduled to arrive soon, although it's still uncertain when they would actually arrive.
Host:
If President Trump suspended the Refugee Admissions Program back in January, how could this work for white South Africans via emergency powers?
Katya Schwenk:
It appears that the administration is using this emergency authority to circumvent the chaos created by the program's suspension.
Katya Schwenk:
Thank you for your reporting and your time.
In February, President Trump issued an executive order focusing on providing humanitarian relief specifically for Afrikaners—white South Africans of Dutch descent—alleging claims of persecution and violence against them in post-apartheid South Africa. By citing emergency circumstances, the Trump administration has bypassed the near-total asylum and refugee admissions ban, admitting a first group of nearly 60 white South African refugees in early May 2025 while leaving roughly 20,000 refugees from other countries in limbo[1][2][3][5]. This targeted resettlement has drawn criticism from several quarters, including refugee advocates and religious organizations like the Episcopal Church, which has refused to assist in resettling these white South African refugees[4].
- Despite the suspension of refugee resettlement programs for many countries, the Trump administration has used emergency authority to offer refugee status to white South Africans, bypassing typical protocol and using the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to assist them.
- The Department of Health and Human Services confirmed that special funds, known as the Preferred Communities program, allocated for at-risk refugee populations, are being used to resettle white South Africans, bypassing the near-total asylum and refugee admissions ban that was instated in January.
