Episcopal Church Shuts Down Refugee Program Over Trump’s Push to Prioritize White South Africans

The Episcopal Church is stepping away from a nearly 40-year partnership with the U.S. government over a refugee resettlement policy it says clashes with its core values.

The break came after the Trump administration requested that the church assist in resettling white South African farmers, known as Afrikaners. The church refused, calling the move morally unacceptable—especially while thousands of refugees from war zones and humanitarian crises continue to sit in limbo.

Church leaders say they couldn’t justify helping a group that isn’t facing urgent or documented danger while other refugee programs remain stalled. Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe emphasized that prioritizing white South Africans, while vetted and more vulnerable refugees continue to wait, is simply wrong.

This all stems from Trump’s ongoing and unfounded claims that white farmers in South Africa are victims of genocide. He’s painted a picture of mass killings and land confiscations targeting white citizens, using that narrative to justify labeling white Afrikaners as refugees.

But reports tell a different story. While South Africa recently passed a law allowing land seizures in rare and tightly controlled cases, no actual land has been taken. And despite making up just 7% of the population, white South Africans still own a vast majority—roughly 70%—of commercial farmland.

The Trump administration, however, classified white South African farmers as refugees earlier this year. Speaking from the White House, Trump doubled down, saying white farmers are being brutally murdered and having their land taken, even though no verified evidence backs those claims.

The Episcopal Church said that continuing to support refugee work under a framework that pushes racial preference would violate its long-standing commitment to racial equity. That’s why it’s walking away from federal resettlement efforts entirely—until the broader refugee system is restored to prioritize those most in need, regardless of race.

For the Episcopal Church, the answer is clear: not the ones being prioritized based on misinformation and whiteness.