The Episcopal Church’s migration agency is rejecting a directive from the federal government to help resettle white South Africans granted refugee status, citing the church’s enduring commitment to racial justice and its historic ties to southern Africa. The decision, announced Monday by Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe, marks the end of a decades-long partnership with the U.S. government on refugee resettlement.
“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 said. “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.”
The announcement comes just one day after 49 South Africans left their country for resettlement in the United States. These individuals are among the first beneficiaries of a fast-tracked refugee program initiated by President Donald Trump, who accused the South African government of discriminating against white citizens. The move has drawn scrutiny for leapfrogging white South Africans ahead of thousands of refugees worldwide who have undergone years of screening and continue to wait in precarious conditions.
President Trump was asked on Monday about granting an expedited path to refugee status for white South Africans while not allowing refugees from countries such as Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Trump replied, “It’s a genocide that’s taking place, and you people don’t want to write about it. It’s a terrible thing that’s taking place, and the farmers are being killed; they happen to be white. Whether they are white or Black makes no difference to me, but white farmers are being brutally killed, and their land is being confiscated in South Africa.
“The newspapers and the media, television media, doesn’t even talk about it. If it were the other way round, they’d talk about it, that would be the only story they talk about. I don’t care who they are. I don’t care about their race, their color, I don’t care about their height, their weight, I don’t care about anything, I just know that what is happening is terrible.”
In February, a South African court ruled that claims of a white genocide were “clearly imagined” and “not real.” Police figures showed around 44 murders on farms and agricultural land in 2024, with eight farmers among them.
That has not stopped the Trump administration from moving forward with the program, at a time when most other nations, which previously had pathways to U.S. refugee status, have had the route cut off.
White South Africans make up around 7 percent of the country’s population but own around 70 percent of its commercial farmland.
Rowe also emphasized that many other would-be refugees, including persecuted Christians, are now being denied U.S. entry despite facing grave threats. While Episcopal Migration Ministries will no longer accept federal funds to resettle refugees, Rowe said the church remains committed to immigrant support in other forms, including assisting those already in the U.S. and those still stranded abroad.
The shift ends a nearly 40-year relationship between Episcopal Migration Ministries and the federal government, during which the agency helped resettle close to 110,000 refugees from countries such as Ukraine, Myanmar, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Trump on South Africa: It is a genocide that is taking place that you people don’t want to write about. pic.twitter.com/qaxT5h0Pbw
— Acyn (@Acyn) May 12, 2025
South Africa’s government has strongly rejected accusations of discriminatory practices against its white minority, and many critics have questioned the Trump administration’s decision to prioritize Afrikaners. Despite the controversy, another faith-based group, Church World Service (CWS), has agreed to work with the arriving South Africans.
“We are concerned that the U.S. Government has chosen to fast-track the admission of Afrikaners, while actively fighting court orders to provide life-saving resettlement to other refugee populations who are in desperate need of resettlement,” said Rick Santos, CWS president and CEO. “Despite the Administration’s actions, CWS remains committed to serving all eligible refugee populations seeking safety in the United States, including Afrikaners who are eligible for services.”
“Our faith compels us to serve each person in our care with dignity and compassion,” Santos added.
The move is not the first time the Episcopal Church has clashed with government policy. In January, Bishop Mariann Budde of Washington drew President Trump’s ire after calling for “mercy” for vulnerable groups—including migrants and LGBTQ+ youth—during a national prayer service.
The Anglican Church of Southern Africa, with which the Episcopal Church maintains close ties, was a key force in the anti-apartheid movement, led by figures like Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
“It has been painful to watch one group of refugees, selected in a highly unusual manner, receive preferential treatment over many others who have been waiting in refugee camps or dangerous conditions for years,” Rowe added. “I am saddened and ashamed that many of the refugees who are being denied entrance to the United States are brave people who worked alongside our military in Iraq and Afghanistan and now face danger at home because of their service to our country.”
Reporting by the Associated Press contributed to this article.
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