A senior U.S. embassy official in South Africa was reportedly informed that former President Donald Trump’s refugee initiative for South African Afrikaners was specifically designed to benefit white individuals. This revelation further underscores concerns that the program was part of a broader effort to promote a white nationalist agenda under the guise of humanitarian aid.
According to a recent Reuters investigation, the official sought clarification earlier this month on whether non-white South Africans would be eligible for the program, which was established by a presidential executive order in February. The initiative was based on unsubstantiated claims that white farmers in South Africa were being systematically targeted and murdered after their land was confiscated—a narrative repeatedly debunked by independent observers.
Reuters reports:
“President Donald Trump’s February executive order establishing the program specified that it was for ‘Afrikaners in South Africa who are victims of unjust racial discrimination,’ referring to an ethnic group descended primarily from Dutch settlers.”
In a diplomatic cable dated July 8, Charge d’Affaires David Greene asked whether the embassy could accept applications from other minority groups facing racial discrimination in South Africa, such as mixed-race “coloured” South Africans—many of whom also speak Afrikaans. In South Africa, “coloured” is an official designation for individuals of mixed racial heritage, a classification that dates back to the apartheid era.
A response came days later from Spencer Chretien, a top official in the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration. According to sources, Chretien confirmed that the program was intended exclusively for white individuals. Although Reuters could not confirm the precise wording of the response, the State Department’s website stated as of May that applicants must be of “Afrikaner ethnicity or be a member of a racial minority in South Africa.”
This ambiguity leaves open the interpretation that while the policy superficially allows for minority applicants, in practice it largely excludes Black South Africans—aligning with broader patterns observed in the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
Interestingly, at least one mixed-race family has reportedly entered the U.S. under this program, suggesting some flexibility in its application. Greene’s diplomatic cable detailed various ethnic groups in South Africa, including the Khoisan (indigenous people), and noted that some members of the South African Jewish community had also shown interest in the program. However, Greene emphasized that Jews are considered a religious minority in South Africa, not a racial one.
“In the absence of other guidance, \[the U.S. embassy] intends to give consideration to well-founded claims of persecution based on race for other racial minorities,” Greene stated.
Despite these efforts to broaden the program’s scope, the underlying structure and implementation suggest a narrow focus that disproportionately favors white applicants. Critics argue that this policy exemplifies the Trump administration’s broader ideological framework—one that has been accused of promoting white supremacy not only domestically but also through its foreign policy actions.
In sum, while the initiative claims to address racial discrimination, its design and enforcement raise serious questions about racial equity and the selective application of humanitarian values.
