Happy Wednesday, and welcome back to our #TrumpCheck series, the LACDP's weekly newsletter that holds the Trump administration accountable for its lies, deception, and self-serving actions.
Nearly 5 months into the second Trump presidency, we seem to have found a rhythm under which he operates. Sometimes, a week goes by without Earth-shattering, precedent-breaking news.
Unfortunately, this is not one of those weeks.
On Monday, forty-nine white Afrikaner refugees flew on a chartered jet, paid for by the US government, from South Africa to the United States on newly granted refugee status. This is in striking contradiction to the announcement, on the same day, that Afghan refugees will lose their immigration status and begin being deported this summer. Many of whom are in danger in Afghanistan specifically for helping the U.S. armed forces as interpreters during wartime.
The blatantly racist and seemingly contradictory policy is just one example of such during the Trump years. Today, we are here to illuminate Trump's history and current efforts in racist immigration policy.
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The 49 white Afrikaner refugees were not only greeted by government officials, a highly unusual step in refugee operations, but will be supported financially as they settle into the United States. An internal government memo obtained by the New York Times cites that the Trump administration will be helping to provide “temporary or longer-term housing” and “basic home furnishings, essential household items and cleaning supplies ... groceries, weather-appropriate clothing, diapers, formula, hygiene products and prepaid phones that support the day-to-day well-being of households.”
FACT: On the first day of his presidency in 2025, Donald Trump signed an Executive Order to stop the acceptance of refugees into the United States. A February 7th Executive Order announced that the US would be supporting “Afrikaner refugees escaping government-sponsored race-based discrimination, including racially discriminatory property confiscation.” Afrikaners are "South Africa’s largest white group" in a country that is over 80% Black.
- The "Remain in Mexico" policy was created in January of 2019 during the first Trump term. It demands that Mexican asylum seekers return to Mexico until the date of their asylum court hearing. The American Immigration Council states that asylum cases can take "years" to go through the legal process.
FACT: The day after his 2025 inauguration, Trump reinstated the "Remain in Mexico" policy, a universally condemned policy by human rights organizations due to the life-threatening danger it puts so many asylum seekers in. This policy is still in place today, as white refugees from Africa are flown into the United States on expedited visas.
And finally...
- Donald Trump's administration has rushed to reinstate family separation practices.
FACT: The lifelong, detrimental effects on children being kept in ICE detention are well-documented. This hasn't stopped the expansion of family detention centers at the US border with Mexico. Reports from inside the detention facility indicate a lack of diapers, soap, food, phone access, or water, freezing temperatures, and overcrowded cells.
We really wish that the Trump administration would treat ALL refugees equally and provide them with the essentials for the well-being of their households, including prepaid phones, cleaning supplies, diapers, formula, weather-appropriate clothing, and housing assistance. But they don't.
Donald Trump thinks he can get away with policies like this because Americans don't notice. Guess what, Trump?
We do.
And we will not stand by and let it happen. It takes all of us to fight blatantly racist policy that hurts our country, our immigrant neighbors, and our loved ones. The first step in fighting back against the Trump administration is setting the record straight; correcting misinformation is a job for us all. If you had this email forwarded to you, you can sign up for the #TrumpCheck newsletter here.
We'll be back at defending the truth next week. Until then, stay tuned to our social media channels, linked below, for updates on the LACDP's fight against Trump.
In Solidarity,
Team LACDP
