Context:

The Episcopal Church has decided to end its nearly 40-year partnership with the U.S. government on refugee resettlement due to a moral opposition to the Trump administration's request to prioritize white Afrikaners from South Africa over other refugees. Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe emphasized the church's commitment to racial justice and its historical ties with South Africa, particularly in opposing apartheid. Despite President Trump's claims of genocide against Afrikaners, no evidence supports widespread land seizures or targeted violence. The Episcopal Church's decision reflects its stance against fast-tracking Afrikaners while other refugees, including those who supported U.S. military efforts abroad, remain in peril. Moving forward, the church will continue its advocacy and support for vulnerable populations independent of governmental partnerships, aligning with its core values of supporting racial justice and care for the marginalized.

Dive Deeper:

• The Episcopal Church has terminated its refugee resettlement collaboration with the U.S. government after rejecting a directive to resettle white Afrikaners from South Africa, a decision rooted in its commitment to racial justice.

• Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe stated that the moral line was crossed with the administration's request to prioritize Afrikaners over other refugees who have been waiting in camps, highlighting the church's historical opposition to apartheid and ongoing dedication to racial reconciliation.

• President Trump has labeled the situation of Afrikaners as genocide without substantiating evidence, despite claims of land seizures and violence against white farmers in South Africa, which NPR reports have not occurred under the new land reform laws.

• The Episcopal Church's decision underlines its refusal to participate in a system that appears to value white refugees over others, particularly when many other refugees, including those who have aided the U.S. military, are at risk and waiting for resettlement.

• Since the halt of refugee entry in January by the Trump administration, the Episcopal Church has settled over 100,000 refugees, but the current situation has led to a pivot in focus towards ground-level immigration and migration advocacy, maintaining its mission to support the most vulnerable.

• Archbishop Desmond Tutu's legacy and teachings against apartheid greatly influence the Episcopal Church's decision-making process, reinforcing its established partnerships and shared values with the Anglican Church.

• The church plans to continue its work independently, emphasizing the importance of aiding the poor and vulnerable as a core Christian duty, even as it steps away from federal partnerships.