Trump Focuses on White South African Refugees Amid Migrant Crisis

WHO:

The Source - President Donald Trump

Alternet - South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola

Alternet - State Department officials

WHAT:

The Source - Trump’s immigration policies prioritize admitting predominantly white South Africans as refugees.

Alternet - The State Department is considering spending about $335,000 to advertise a refugee program for white South Africans.

Alternet - Applications from Afrikaners have “trended lower than expected” since an online registration was launched in November 2025.

Alternet - The United States admitted 16,292 refugees in the fiscal year ending September 30, with nearly all being South African.

Alternet - Trump cut the refugee admission cap from 125,000 to 7,500, later increasing it to 17,000 with Afrikaners in mind.

WHERE:

Alternet - Focus groups are planned in Pretoria, Stellenbosch, and Orania, South Africa.

WHEN:

Alternet - An online registration for the refugee program was launched in November 2025.

Alternet - An executive order was issued in February 2025 to prioritize the resettlement of Afrikaners.

WHY:

Alternet - Trump claims that white South Africans are subjected to unfair property seizures and race discrimination.

Alternet - The administration promotes the narrative of “white genocide,” which has been discredited by experts.

HOW:

Alternet - The proposed research and advertising campaign will occur in three stages: organizing focus groups, conducting a survey of 1,000 Afrikaners, and a six-month online campaign primarily in Afrikaans.

(UPDATED October 15, 2026 22:01 UTC)

President Trump’s immigration policies are focusing on admitting predominantly white South Africans as refugees, with the State Department considering a budget of about $335,000 to promote this initiative. Since the launch of an online registration for the refugee program in November 2025, applications from Afrikaners have been lower than expected, despite the U.S. admitting over 16,000 refugees in the last fiscal year, nearly all from South Africa. To further this effort, focus groups are planned in Pretoria, Stellenbosch, and Orania, as part of a three-stage research and advertising campaign aimed at understanding and reaching potential applicants.