The Episcopal Church has announced that it will no longer participate in the US government’s refugee resettlement program, citing moral opposition to helping white Afrikaners from South Africa who have been granted refugee status under President Donald Trump’s administration.
Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe stated, “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.” The church’s decision comes after the government informed Episcopal Migration Ministries that it was expected to resettle the white Afrikaners as part of its federal grant agreement.
The Episcopal Church has a long history of advocating against apartheid in South Africa and has maintained ties with the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, which includes leaders like the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a vocal opponent of apartheid. Rowe emphasized that the church would continue to support immigrants and refugees in other ways, despite ending its partnership with the government.
The Trump administration’s decision to grant refugee status to white Afrikaners has been met with criticism, with many arguing that it is a politically motivated move. The South African government has denied allegations of systemic racial animus, and a coalition of white religious leaders in the region has also rejected these claims.
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly responded to the Episcopal Church’s decision, saying it “raises serious questions about its supposed commitment to humanitarian aid.” She argued that 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.”
Other organizations, such as Church World Service, have also expressed concerns about the government’s priorities, noting that it has chosen to fast-track the admission of Afrikaners while fighting court orders to provide life-saving resettlement to other refugee populations in desperate need.