The Trump administration is preparing to welcome the first group of white South African refugees to the United States as early as next week, according to three sources familiar with the matter.
This move comes despite the administration's restrictions on refugee admissions from other parts of the world, highlighting a divisive approach to immigration policy.
The assertion that minority white South Africans face discrimination from the Black majority has spread in far-right circles for years and been echoed by Trump's white South African-born ally Elon Musk.
The average white household in South Africa owns 20 times the wealth of the average Black household, according to the Review of Political Economy, an international academic journal.
Approximately 50 Afrikaners are expected to arrive at Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia, where they will reportedly participate in a press conference before traveling to their final destinations in the US. However, the sources cautioned that the arrival, already delayed by a week, could be subject to further changes. As of Thursday afternoon, a charter flight intended for the group had not yet received a landing permit.
The U.S. State Department, which administers the resettlement of South Africans whom the Trump administration granted refugee status, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. NPR first reported the timing of the arrivals. Trump kicked off a wide-ranging immigration crackdown after taking office in January, including an indefinite suspension of refugee resettlement. In a related executive order, the Republican president said the U.S. would only admit refugees who "can fully and appropriately assimilate."
Despite the broad refugee freeze, Trump in February called on the U.S. to prioritize resettling Afrikaners, descendants of mostly Dutch early settlers, saying they were "victims of unjust racial discrimination."
In interviews with U.S. immigration officers, white South Africans seeking refugee status have highlighted troubles with land disputes, crime and perceived racism, Reuters reported in April.
The South African government has criticized the Trump effort, saying it fails to recognize the country's history of colonialism and apartheid.
While some Afrikaners have expressed interest in going to politically conservative U.S. states, Democratic-leaning Minnesota has emerged as a popular choice, two of the sources told Reuters.
Minnesota has a reputation as a welcoming state for refugees, including those from Somalia, Afghanistan, Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Some also plan to head to Republican-leaning states, such as Idaho and Alabama, one of the sources said.
The reason to charter a flight for the initial group of Afrikaners was not immediately clear. The charter plane would cost far more than commercial tickets, sources said
