By The Trump administration authorized 10,000 more Afrikaners from South Africa to be admitted as refugees, and Bishop Brendan Cahill said U.S. protection should not be limited to a single group.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has raised the cap for Afrikaner refugees but kept capacity restrictions on refugees from other countries, which sparked disapproval from Bishop Brendan J. Cahill of the Diocese of Victoria, Texas.
Cahill, who chairs the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration, welcomed the decision to admit 10,000 more Afrikaners as refugees but said in a statement that resettlement opportunities should be more broadly available.
Afrikaners are a white minority descendent of Dutch settlers. In February, the White House issued a statement that accused the South African government of racial discrimination against Afrikaners through land seizures permitted under the Expropriation Act 13 of 2024. The South African government denies racial discrimination.
On May 28, the administration updated the federal register to change the cap on Afrikaner refugees from 7,500 to 17,500, citing an “unforeseen emergency refugee situation.”
Cahill, in a May 28 statement, said the U.S. has a long-standing moral and historical commitment to offering refuge to people fleeing persecution but stressed that the U.S. refugee program should not be limited to “favoring one particular group.”
“For decades, the United States was known for offering this opportunity, not favoring one particular group but granting relief in accordance with our laws, our shared values, and the national interest,” he said. “Today, however, that is sadly not the case.”
He urged the government to restore broader refugee admissions and ensure that vulnerable people of all backgrounds have access to safety.
“We appreciate the administration’s acknowledgement that our country can continue to resettle refugees, and we renew our call for resettlement to be extended further to others in need, including those persecuted on the basis of their faith, the likes of whom have no access to refuge in our country at this time,” Cahill said.
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“Bishop Brendan Cahill said U.S. protection should not be limited to a single group.”
Broken record. It’s never enough.
Searching, finding, selecting, requesting, inviting, and welcoming refugees is indeed heart-warming. It’s a win-win opportunity for the refugees and for their distinguished hosts. Black, white, brown, and yellow world builders working and walking together shoulder to shoulder is the way forward.
Classifying the Afrikaners as “refugees” puts them at the head of the line. This is a payoff to Elon Musk.
Afrikaners, unlike the vast majority of Third World “refugees”, will actually contribute culturally, socially and economically to the welfare of America. They will also come without the sense of entitlement and preexisting resentments towards America and the West that, again, most other refugees arrive with. In other words, they’ll assimilate. Heck, they won’t even qualify for affirmative action! Pace, Bishop Cahill, no government has any business admitting refugees from every cultural, social, economic and religious background. That’s what’s known as national suicide.