Episcopal Church Rejects Trump Plan To Resettle White, MAGA South African ‘Refugees’: Here’s Why

Why did Trump grant white South Africans refugee status?

Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe sent a letter to members of the church and said that about two weeks ago, the federal government “informed Episcopal Migration Ministries that under the terms of our federal grant, we are expected to resettle white Afrikaners from South Africa whom the U.S. government has classified as refugees.”

In February, President Donald Trump signed an executive order cutting off aid to South Africa, accusing the government of seizing farmland from white South Africans without compensation. The administration has also halted the U.S. refugee program for other regions, which provides support to individuals fleeing danger in their home countries.

Yet Trump swiftly granted refugee status to the group of white South Africans, claiming in his Feb. 7 executive order that they were “escaping government-sponsored, race-based discrimination,” according to Blavity and The Associated Press.

‘We have served nearly 110,000 refugees during this time’

The Episcopal Church, part of the global Anglican Communion, has long upheld moral principles that call for aiding all in need — a stance reflected by one of its most prominent leaders, the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who also vocally opposed apartheid in South Africa, NPR reported.

“In light of our church’s steadfast commitment to racial justice and reconciliation and our historic ties with the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, we are not able to take this step,” Rowe wrote. “Accordingly, we have determined that, by the end of the federal fiscal year, we will conclude our refugee resettlement grant agreements with the U.S. federal government.”

Rowe said Episcopal Migration Ministries is working with the administration to end all federally funded services by September. However, the organization plans to help immigrants and refugees in other ways, such as providing aid to those already settled and overseas.

“For nearly 40 years, Episcopal Migration Ministries has put hands and feet to our church’s commitment to seek and serve Christ in migrants and refugees,” Rowe stated in the letter. “We have served nearly 110,000 refugees during this time, many of whom are now American citizens and beloved members of our communities, workplaces, and neighborhoods. Over the years, EMM has resettled individuals from Ukraine, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Myanmar. We have supported vulnerable populations from across the globe, regardless of nationality.”

Religious groups speak out amid white South Africans’ resettlement

Rowe’s remarks came shortly before several flights carrying white South Africans arrived at Washington Dulles International Airport outside Washington on Monday. The group’s fast-track status to the U.S. has sparked other faith-based groups that are also committed to helping refugees to speak out on the administration’s actions and whether they will help the white South Africans toward their resettlement, per NPR.

Per NPR, a representative for Church World Service, one of the groups suing the government for halting the refugee program, confirmed that the organization “has agreed to support one family through remote services,” but also reiterated its statement about the government approving the status of these white South Africans but neglecting to provide aid to other refugee populations.

“By resettling this population, the Government is demonstrating that it still has the capacity to quickly screen, process, and depart refugees to the United States. It’s time for the Administration to honor our nation’s commitment to the thousands of refugee families it abandoned with its cruel and illegal executive order,” Rick Santos, head of Church World Service, said in a statement obtained by NPR.

Matthew Soerens, vice president of advocacy and policy at World Relief, said the evangelical group plans to help a small group of white South Africans who qualify for Office of Refugee Resettlement-funded services.

“Our primary response to this situation is to continue to urge the administration to resume that initial resettlement process for a broad range of individuals who have fled persecution on account of their faith, political opinion, race or other reasons outlined under US law — and to highlight the support for doing so from the evangelical Christians who are World Relief’s core base of support, including some very conservative evangelicals who see refugee resettlement as a vital tool to protect those denied religious freedom abroad,” he said, according to NPR.