Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
Editorials & Other Articles
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
WaPo: Trump shut out refugees but is making White South Africans an exception
WaPo - (archived: https://archive.ph/MMsu5 ) Trump shut out refugees but is making White South Africans an exception
Federal and Virginia state officials are preparing to receive about 60 White South Africans at Dulles International Airport next week, government documents and emails show.
May 9, 2025 at 1:25 p.m. ET
By Teo Armus
Months after the Trump administration ground U.S. refugee admissions to a halt, the program meant for people fleeing war or political persecution has restarted — but only for one group: White South Africans.
Plans are underway to fly approximately 60 Afrikaners to Dulles International Airport on a State Department-chartered plane Monday, with federal and Virginia officials preparing to receive them in a ceremonial news conference, according to documents and emails obtained by The Washington Post, as well as three government officials familiar with the preparations.
The arriving families, who are part of a group that President Donald Trump has said face racial discrimination, will then be resettled outside Virginia in at least seven states, according to those familiar with the plans, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to share details of the preparations.
“The U.S. government is prioritizing the resettlement of Afrikaner refugees, and [the Office of Refugee Resettlement] is coordinating services to ensure they receive the support they need from the very initial days of their arrival,” Miro Marinovich, who oversees the Refugee Program Bureau at the Department of Health and Human Services, wrote in an email to other federal officials on Wednesday. “The first flight of Afrikaner refugees is set to arrive on Monday, May 12.”
A State Department spokesperson did not answer questions about the flight but confirmed in a statement that embassy officials have been “conducting interviews and processing” in accordance with a Trump executive order in February. That directive to Cabinet officials looked to promote the resettlement of Afrikaners as refugees due to a recently signed South African land redistribution law that allows for property to be taken away without compensation in some situations.
/snip
Federal and Virginia state officials are preparing to receive about 60 White South Africans at Dulles International Airport next week, government documents and emails show.
May 9, 2025 at 1:25 p.m. ET
By Teo Armus
Months after the Trump administration ground U.S. refugee admissions to a halt, the program meant for people fleeing war or political persecution has restarted — but only for one group: White South Africans.
Plans are underway to fly approximately 60 Afrikaners to Dulles International Airport on a State Department-chartered plane Monday, with federal and Virginia officials preparing to receive them in a ceremonial news conference, according to documents and emails obtained by The Washington Post, as well as three government officials familiar with the preparations.
The arriving families, who are part of a group that President Donald Trump has said face racial discrimination, will then be resettled outside Virginia in at least seven states, according to those familiar with the plans, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to share details of the preparations.
“The U.S. government is prioritizing the resettlement of Afrikaner refugees, and [the Office of Refugee Resettlement] is coordinating services to ensure they receive the support they need from the very initial days of their arrival,” Miro Marinovich, who oversees the Refugee Program Bureau at the Department of Health and Human Services, wrote in an email to other federal officials on Wednesday. “The first flight of Afrikaner refugees is set to arrive on Monday, May 12.”
A State Department spokesperson did not answer questions about the flight but confirmed in a statement that embassy officials have been “conducting interviews and processing” in accordance with a Trump executive order in February. That directive to Cabinet officials looked to promote the resettlement of Afrikaners as refugees due to a recently signed South African land redistribution law that allows for property to be taken away without compensation in some situations.
/snip
1 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
