Trump Tries to put White Immigrants at the Head of the Line

The Episcopal Church Says No

Canticle Communications, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

The Episcopal Church, through its Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM), has long been involved in immigration. EMM is the Episcopal Church's refugee resettlement and migration ministry. Since 1988, EMM has resettled almost 110,000 individuals to communities across the United States. In 2024, they helped resettle 6,533 individuals from 48 countries. EMM is one of the ten national agencies working with the U.S. government to resettle refugees.

One of Donald Trump’s first acts in his second term as President was to halt over 10,000 already-approved immigrations. These were not asylum seekers crossing the Southern border but people who had gone through a thorough vetting process that took upwards of a year.

“Refugees go through one of the most rigorous vetting processes in the world, and many are now seeing their travel canceled just days, or even hours, before they were set to begin their new lives in the United States.” — Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, Global Refuge

Trump has sent troops to the border and argued with the Mexican President regarding his desire to have the U.S. Army operate in Mexico. Beginning with his Muslim ban in his first administration and verbal attacks on “shithole countries.” Trump has openly condemned the number of Black and brown immigrants, preferring people from places like Denmark.

Trump made his preferences clear by fast-tracking white settlers from South Africa. President Trump accused the South African government of discriminating against its white citizens. Days ago, 49 white South Africans arrived in the United States for resettlement under a fast-tracked refugee program. The Trump administration asked EMM to place them ahead of other immigrants, and they said no. The Episcopal Church, under Presiding Bishop Sean W. Rowe, has deep ties to the Anglican Church of Southern Africa and counts the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu — an outspoken opponent of apartheid — among its spiritual forebears.

“In light of our church’s steadfast commitment to racial justice and reconciliation and our historic ties with the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, we are not able to take this step. Accordingly, we have determined that, by the end of the federal fiscal year, we will conclude our refugee resettlement grant agreements with the U.S. federal government.” — Bishop Sean Rowe

The Episcopal Church is aware that the premise that white settlers in South Africa are being murdered and having their land stolen is a conspiracy theory already proven false by the South African courts.

In February, a South African court ruled that claims of a white genocide were “clearly imagined” and “not real.” Police figures showed around 44 murders on farms and agricultural land in 2024, with eight farmers among them. The South African government has also stridently denied allegations of systemic racial discrimination. Having a casual relationship with the truth, Donald Trump has a different opinion.

“It’s a genocide that’s taking place, and you people don’t want to write about it. It’s a terrible thing that’s taking place, and the farmers are being killed; they happen to be white. Whether they are white or Black makes no difference to me, but white farmers are being brutally killed, and their land is being confiscated in South Africa.” — Donald Trump

South Africa indeed has a high murder rate. It’s also true that the vast majority of victims are Black and receive no preferential treatment from Trump.

When The Episcopal Church refused to put white South Africans at the head of the line, MAGA world went crazy, now wanting to eradicate DEI from the Church as if that is what Jesus would do.

“I guess you aren’t a refugee if you are white. According to the Episcopal Church, Jesus doesn’t love white people.” — Charlie Kirk

“All Federal Funds MUST Be Pulled From The Episcopal Church. It’s Time To Enforce The Separation Of Church And State.” — Alex Jones

“The Episcopal Church’s refugee program was getting over $50 Million per year under Biden, and they claim to have resettled 6,533 people from 48 different countries in the U.S. during 2024 alone. Being asked to resettle <50 white people from South Africa is too much though…” — Parker Thayer

“How could one, in good conscience, remain in the Episcopal Church after a stunt like this?” — Will Chamberlain

“Crazy.” — J.D. Vance

“Welcome the stranger. Unless they’re white.” — Megan Basham

Rick Santos of the Church World Service offered a different view:

“We are concerned that the U.S. Government has chosen to fast-track the admission of Afrikaners, while actively fighting court orders to provide life-saving resettlement to other refugee populations who are in desperate need of resettlement.

By resettling this population, the Government is demonstrating that it still has the capacity to quickly screen, process, and depart refugees to the United States. It’s time for the Administration to honor our nation’s commitment to the thousands of refugee families it abandoned with its cruel and illegal executive order.”

In response to the comments, I would note that the Episcopal Church has already decided to forego government support for its resettlement programs using its own resources. Among its ministries are African Descent Ministries, Asiamerica Ministries, Armed Forces and Federal Ministries, Latino Ministries, Indigenous Ministries, Racial Reconciliation, Office for Transition Ministry, and Social Justice and Engagement.

It sounds like they’ve taken to heart the song most of us learned as children. Donald Trump obviously missed it.

“Jesus loves the little children
All the children of the world
Red, and yellow, black, and white
They are precious in His sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world”