Trump administration welcomed white Afrikaners while ending Afghan protections

The Trump administration welcomed white South African refugees into the U.S. on Monday, the same day it announced it is ending deportation protections for refugees from Afghanistan.The big picture: The coinciding moves show a split screen of President Trump's immigration crackdown, accepting one group while revoking protections from the other. Since taking office, Trump has sought to get rid of some U.S. refugee admission policies, which have traditionally been focused on resettling people fleeing violence, war, famine and genocide.Driving the news: The first flight carrying a group of South Africans granted refugee status arrived in Virginia on Monday, the State Department announced.The admission of Afrikaners, a white ethnic minority that dominated South African politics during apartheid, is in response to Trump's "call to prioritize U.S. refugee resettlement of this vulnerable group facing unjust racial discrimination in South Africa," the department said.The group has said they have been denied jobs and faced violence because of their race.More Afrikaner refugees will arrive in the U.S. in the coming months, per the State Department.Zoom in: Asked why there's an expedited path into the country for Afrikaners but not for others, Trump said Monday, "Because they're being killed. And we don't want to see people be killed," adding, "it's a genocide that's taking place.""Farmers are being killed. They happen to be white, but whether they're white or black makes no difference to me," Trump said.But a South African court determined in February that claims of a white genocide in the country are not true. State of play: Over 9,000 Afghans could face deportation after the Department of Homeland Security announced the revocation of their temporary protected status on Monday. DHS said last month that it would not renew TPS status for Afghanistan refugees, but said Monday that termination is slated for July 12. Permitting Afghans to remain temporarily in the U.S. "is contrary to the national interest" of the country, the department said in its release.DHS Secretary Kristi Noem "determined that, overall, there are notable improvements in the security and economic situation such that requiring the return of Afghan nationals to Afghanistan does not pose a threat to their personal safety due to ongoing-armed conflict or extraordinary and temporary conditions," the department said.In 2023, then-President Biden extended deportation protections for Afghan refugees who fled their homes after the U.S. withdrew its forces from Afghanistan in 2021.What they're saying: White House spokesperson Kush Desai accused the Biden administration on Monday evening of "illegally [paroling] tens of thousands of Afghans into the U.S., plus hundreds of thousands of other aliens."He said in an emailed statement, "Parole, a temporary benefit, is granted case by case for urgent humanitarian reasons or public benefit—it is not a pathway to permanent residence or citizenship."Desai added, "Afghans lacking legal grounds to stay and fearing persecution on protected grounds may apply for asylum and have the courts adjudicate their cases."Zoom out: The Trump administration is reportedly considering exempting Christian Afghans from deportation as several Christian groups have lobbied for them to remain in the U.S. due to fears of persecution by the Taliban, Politico reported last month. Yes, but: Refugee groups have condemned ending TPS for Afghans as many who fled the country and were granted the status helped the U.S military during its two-decade military presence in the Central Asian nation. "Terminating protections for Afghans is a morally indefensible betrayal of allies who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with us to advance American interests throughout our country's longest war," Krish O'Mara Vignarajah, President and CEO of Global Refuge said in a statement last month. Vignarajah also pointed to the dangers waiting for many Afghan women and girls if they return to their home country, "where they face systemic oppression and gender-based violence."It "would be an utterly unconscionable stain on our nation's reputation," Vignarajah said.Flashback: Trump tried to end TPS designations for several countries during his first term.Since taking office for a second time, his administration has moved to end temporary deportation protections for an estimated 300,000-plus Venezuelans living in the United States, as well as for Haitian migrants.TPS is a federal program that allows migrants from certain countries to legally live and work in the U.S. while the conditions in their home country are unsafe.Go deeper: Afghan refugees in Iowa told to leave the U.S.Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from White House spokesperson Kush Desai.

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