President Donald Trump has largely hobbled the U.S. refugee resettlement program since retaking office last month — but he gave one group of people special consideration for resettlement.
On Friday, Trump signed an executive order condemning South Africa's new land expropriation law, which was designed to address the ongoing harms wrought on the country by the racist apartheid regime. The law, noted The Associated Press, "allows the government to take land in specific instances where it is not being used, or where it would be in the public interest if it is redistributed."
Trump, however, attacked the program in his order.
“As long as South Africa continues to support bad actors on the world stage and allows violent attacks on innocent disfavored minority farmers, the United States will stop aid and assistance to the country,” and taking another broadside at South Africa for its role in the International Criminal Court investigation of Israel. The order went on to say Trump would establish an expedited refugee resettlement policy for white Afrikaners, the group that ruled over South Africa during apartheid.
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Tech billionaire Elon Musk, a close adviser and benefactor to the president, notably immigrated to the U.S. from South Africa and is outspoken against the land policy. But Trump's mention of "violent attacks" on white farmers also echoes years of him, and others on the American right including Tucker Carlson, pushing white nationalist conspiracy theories that there is a plot to ethnically cleanse white people from that country.
Commenters on social media were quick to condemn Trump's move.
"#DonaldTrump announces that white Afrikaners, the architects and chief beneficiaries of South Africa’s racist apartheid policies 1948-1994 will be given urgent access to refugee resettlement problems in the United States," wrote Hugh Riminton, national affairs editor for Australian network 10 News First.
"White Afrikaners getting to jump in line while Venezuelans are getting their TPS status revoked… Hard to think of a clearer picture!" wrote Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee email and text deputy director George Clark.
"When Donald Trump ceases all refugee resettlement, but makes an explicit exemption for white supremacists, it’s time the press call him what he is: an avowed racist," wrote Democratic strategist Matt McDermott.