Episcopal Church refuses to resettle White South African refugees in clash with Trump administration
The Episcopal Church’s migration service said it will refuse the Trump administration's request to help resettle dozens of White South Africans granted refugee status by the federal government.
In a statement, Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe said the Episcopal Migration Ministries will instead terminate its partnership with the government. The announcement came shortly before 59 South Africans arrived in the United States.
"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 of the government's request that the church help resettle the South African citizens. "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."
He cited their "preferential treatment" over others more deserving by jumping ahead of the line.
"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," said Rowe. "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."
"I also grieve that victims of religious persecution, including Christians, have not been granted refuge in recent months," he added.
The move came after President Donald Trump fast-tracked refugee status for the White South Africans, citing discrimination by their government, while also shutting down most refugee resettlement programs.
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The Trump administration has harshly criticized the government of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa over a land expropriation bill, which, under some circumstances, allows for expropriation of land without compensation.
Trump has said the bill discriminates against White South Africans. The White House told Fox News Digital that the church's stance raises questions about its "supposed" commitment to humanitarian aid.
"Any religious group should support the plight of Afrikaners, who have been terrorized, brutalized and persecuted by the South African government," a spokesperson said. "The Afrikaners have faced unspeakable horrors and are no less deserving of refugee resettlement than the hundreds of thousands of others who were allowed into the United States during the past administration. President Trump has made it clear: refugee resettlement should be about need, not politics."
Episcopal Migration Ministries has helped resettled refugees under federal grants for nearly four decades. However, just over two weeks ago, the government told the EMM that under the terms of its federal grant, it was expected to resettle White South Africans whom the U.S. government has classified as refugees, Rowe said.
He said the church will work to find other ways to service refugees.
Meanwhile, Church World Service, another faith-based agency that assists refugees, said it remains committed to serving eligible refugees.
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"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," Rick Santos, CWS president and CEO, said in a statement.
Santos urged Congress and the Trump administration to "restore a robust refugee resettlement program that prioritizes refugee families who remain in grave danger."