First batch of white South African immigrants set to arrive the US next week

The Trump administration is moving forward with a controversial plan to resettle white South African farmers—classified as refugees—in the United States, drawing criticism from human rights advocates, immigration groups, and international observers.

According to internal government memos viewed by The New York Times, the first group of Afrikaners, descendants of Dutch settlers and part of South Africa’s white minority, is scheduled to arrive imminently at Washington Dulles International Airport. Officials from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and its Office of Refugee Resettlement are preparing emergency housing, medical services, and financial support for the group.

The move follows a February executive order by President Donald Trump calling for “humanitarian relief” for Afrikaners, whom he claims are victims of “government-sponsored racial discrimination” and “racially motivated property confiscation” under South Africa’s land reform policies.

Critics say the plan is racially selective and politically driven. While Afrikaners will receive expedited refugee status and federal aid, Trump has suspended the broader U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, leaving more than 20,000 refugees—many from war-torn countries like Afghanistan and Sudan—in limbo. An estimated 12,000 of them had already been cleared for travel before the program was frozen.

The Trump administration’s willingness to mobilize funds typically reserved for vulnerable refugees—such as the sick, elderly, and victims of war—has provoked backlash. “This is a racial double standard, plain and simple,” said one immigration rights advocate. “People who have waited years for resettlement are being cast aside.”

Trump’s decision aligns with public support from high-profile figures such as Elon Musk, a South African-born billionaire and vocal critic of South Africa’s land redistribution laws. Musk has echoed unverified claims that white farmers are being killed “every day,” although South African courts have dismissed such claims as unsubstantiated.

The South African government has rejected Trump’s allegations, calling the executive order “factually inaccurate” and out of touch with the country’s history of colonialism and apartheid. Officials insist that the land reform policies, introduced in January, aim to redress long-standing racial inequality—white South Africans still control more than 70% of agricultural land, despite being less than 10% of the population.

In recent weeks, over 8,200 Afrikaners have reportedly expressed interest in relocating to the U.S., although South African advocacy group AfriForum has publicly declined Trump’s offer of refugee status.

While some Afrikaners claim they face increasing discrimination and economic marginalization, critics argue that granting them priority refugee status while denying entry to those fleeing war and persecution from non-white majority countries undermines the credibility of U.S. humanitarian policy.

As flights and processing continue, the controversy shows no signs of slowing down—raising difficult questions about race, asylum, and who gets to be called a refugee in America.