THE White House has criticised the American Episcopal Church for refusing to help resettle white Afrikaner refugees, accusing the religious institution of abandoning its humanitarian principles.
The unusually sharp rebuke follows the Church’s decision to defy a federal directive instructing faith-based resettlement partners to support the relocation of Afrikaners granted refugee status under former President Donald Trump.
‘It’s deeply troubling when a religious institution that speaks of compassion refuses to assist those legally recognised as refugees,’ a White House spokesperson said on Tuesday, according to AFP.
Controversial carveout for Afrikaners
Trump’s administration, while drastically curbing refugee admissions, created a controversial exception for white Afrikaners, claiming they faced persecution in South Africa. Critics argued the policy was racially biased, especially given the administration’s broader hostility toward refugees from conflict zones in the Global South.
South African officials have consistently rejected claims that Afrikaners face systematic persecution, pointing instead to high crime levels that affect all demographics equally. Pretoria described the Trump-era policy as ‘ideologically driven and factually unfounded’.
Church refuses to legitimise policy
The Episcopal Church, one of the US’s most influential mainline denominations, declined to participate in the programme. In a brief statement, Church leaders said they could not ‘in good conscience’ support a refugee policy that appeared politically motivated.
‘We stand by our commitment to serve all displaced people without favour or bias,’ the Church said, without naming the former president.
White House sees moral failure
While the Trump administration has reversed many Biden-era immigration restrictions, the legal refugee status granted to the Afrikaners remains binding. Officials said the Church had a duty to honour that status, regardless of how it originated.
‘This is about legal responsibility and moral leadership,’ said one White House official. ‘Refusing to assist select refugees undercuts the credibility of our entire humanitarian system.’
The dispute adds to growing tensions between the federal government and faith-based groups over the politicisation of refugee admissions. Analysts say the Episcopal Church’s stance could embolden other organisations to challenge controversial resettlement decisions—past or future.
