A refugee family from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) experienced profound disappointment in January when their long-awaited flight to the United States for resettlement was abruptly canceled. The cancellation occurred just days before their scheduled departure, coinciding with President Donald Trump’s suspension of the US refugee program.
Pacito, who requested anonymity to protect his identity, recounted how his family spent a night in a Kenyan car park, grappling with disbelief and uncertainty. They had already sold their belongings and prepared for a new life in America, having fled conflict in the DRC for the relative safety of Kenya. Their experience is representative of approximately 120,000 refugees who had received conditional approval to enter the US but now find themselves in limbo due to the suspension of the program.
President Trump’s policy shift marks a significant departure from the approach of previous US administrations. In 2024, under former President Joe Biden, the US admitted over 100,000 refugees, the highest annual figure in nearly three decades. Since taking office in January of that year, Trump has prioritized his “America first” agenda, implementing substantial restrictions on immigration pathways. These measures include an ambitious deportation program, the revocation of student visas, and an offer of $1,000 to undocumented immigrants for self-deportation. The White House has defended these actions by suggesting that many being removed pose a threat to American interests or have committed violent crimes.
However, the administration’s refugee policy has notable exceptions. In February, President Trump signed an executive order creating a refugee pathway specifically for Afrikaners, white South Africans whom he described as victims of “racial discrimination.” Earlier this month, a plane carrying 59 Afrikaner refugees arrived near Washington DC, met with an official welcome from the deputy secretary of state. This prioritization has drawn criticism from refugees like Pacito, who stated, “It’s not fair. There are 120,000 refugees who went through the whole process, the vetting, the security, the medical screenings. We’ve waited for years, but now these (Afrikaners) are just processed in like three months.”
Pacito now finds himself in a precarious situation in Nairobi. Having sold his music production equipment, he has struggled to secure consistent work to support his wife and infant son. President Trump has further justified the acceptance of Afrikaners by claiming they face “genocide” in South Africa, a narrative echoed by his ally, Elon Musk, who was born in the country. These claims, however, are widely disputed and have been denied by the South African government. The issue gained prominence following the passage of a law in South Africa allowing the government to seize land from white landowners under certain conditions, a post-apartheid effort to address land ownership disparities. Despite assurances from South African President Cyril Ramaphosa that no land has been seized under this law, the US froze aid to South Africa, leading to diplomatic tensions. These tensions were evident during a recent White House meeting where President Trump raised the issue of white “persecution,” a claim President Ramaphosa firmly rejected.
Analysts have characterized President Trump’s broader foreign policy as isolationist, marked by reductions in foreign aid and a distancing from international conflicts, alongside stricter immigration controls. The administration has also terminated substantial global aid contracts, including those supporting HIV/Aids programs in South Africa. These cuts have been justified by claims of identified fraud in the aid spending. The contrast between these actions and the expedited processing of white South African refugees has been criticized by refugee advocacy groups. Timothy Young of Global Refuge emphasized the need for fairness and equal treatment under the law, stating that if one group has access to humanitarian pathways, others facing persecution, such as Afghan allies and religious minorities, should also have the same opportunity. The Trump administration has also opted not to renew temporary protected status for Afghans in the US, citing improved security and economic conditions in Afghanistan, leading to the threat of deportation for many.
While South Africa does not release crime statistics based on race, recent data indicated that 6,953 people were murdered in the country between October and December 2024, with 12 of these deaths occurring in farm attacks. Of those killed in farm attacks, one was a farmer (typically white), five were farm dwellers, and four were employees (likely to be black). Meanwhile, in the DRC, thousands of civilians have been killed and nearly 100,000 displaced by armed militias. Pacito, who fled the DRC in 2016 due to widespread violence, now feels stranded in Nairobi with limited prospects for US resettlement. He also fears returning to his home country.
Amjad Hammad, a Palestinian from Gaza now living in Egypt, also expressed diminished hope for US resettlement following President Trump’s policies. His family’s application for the US green card lottery was denied. He questioned the administration’s focus on white South Africans, asking, “What are the Palestinians facing, if the people in South Africa are facing a genocide?” The situation for the Hammad family mirrors the plight of Pacito, who remains in Nairobi without stable housing and struggling to provide for his family. The changes in US policy offer him little hope, leaving him feeling trapped and unable to return to the dangers he fled in the DRC.
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