Trump’s Resettlement Program and the Initial Hype

When Donald Trump announced in February 2025 that the US would accept Afrikaners from South Africa as refugees, many white South Africans, who believed they were victims of racism, thought their prayers had been answered. The executive order marked a shift in US refugee policy and was expanded to include members of a “racial minority.” The first group of 68 white South Africans arrived in the US in May 2025. The US also shut down the refugee programme for anyone else fleeing war and persecution at that time.

Disappointing Outcomes for Applicants

However, in the past few months, dozens of applicants to the refugee programme have been rejected. Many left dismayed and confused about why they were denied, especially since Trump had falsely claimed there was a “white genocide” in South Africa. According to state department figures, more than 13,000 white South Africans have moved to the US since the programme began, with more than 2,600 admitted in August alone.

Reasons for Rejection and Public Reaction

On 30 June, Facebook and WhatsApp groups for prospective and successful refugee applicants began to light up with news that people had begun to receive rejection letters. The letters, as seen by The Guardian, stated that USCIS found the applications ineligible for continued processing for resettlement to the US at that time and that these rejections could not be appealed. It is unclear how many have been found ineligible, as USCIS did not provide data on the total number of refugee applications and rejections.

One WhatsApp group set up to support rejects, called Hope beyond the Letter, had 311 members as of 10 September, according to one of the administrators, who noted that the membership fluctuated. While the ineligibility letters did not give reasons for rejection, some applicants were given more information after making Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.

A 64-year-old freelance TV professional, who did not want his identity disclosed, found that his case was initially “recommended for approval.” However, the recommendation was reversed because his ex-girlfriend, whom he had applied with, had a marijuana conviction. He said he cried like a baby when he received the rejection letter on 30 June, having finished the screening process in November. “It was something I actually believed was attainable. I believed the hype,” he said.

Pieter and Liesl (not their real names) were told they were “conditionally approved” as refugees last November. Both are Afrikaners who had a grandparent killed on a farm and were managing a farm when they applied to become refugees. Pieter said he was convicted of trespassing in 2014 and paid a fine, without going to court. He was granted multiple temporary visas to work on farms in the US between 2011 and 2024.

The couple’s youngest daughter was born in the US and is a US citizen. In the response to their FOI request, they noticed that USCIS had recorded her nationality as South African and incorrectly said that she would be left behind if they moved to the US as refugees. They had already sold their house, car, and many of their possessions when they received a rejection letter on 24 July. “We have to start all over again,” Pieter said.

Another applicant blamed not being able to speak in his native Afrikaans for what he claimed were misunderstandings that led to him and his wife being rejected. The reasons given in response to their FOI request were “crime involving moral turpitude” and “commission of acts of torture or extra judicial killing.” The 67-year-old had admitted to shooting at least one black person when working as a security guard in 1995 but said it was in self-defence while responding to the mass break-in of an alcohol shop. “I was thoroughly investigated by the authorities. I was not charged, because I did not break the law,” he said.

In an emailed response that did not address specific cases, the USCIS spokesperson Zach Kahler said: “The Department of Homeland Security is committed to resettling Afrikaner refugees who are being persecuted by the South African government. [USCIS] reviews each refugee application on a case-by-case basis … [and] notifies aliens found ineligible for continued processing through the US Refugee Admissions Program, including those found ineligible for public safety concerns or criminal histories. This cannot be appealed. This administration will always prioritize the safety and welfare of the American people.”