State Department Denounces South African Raid on U.S. Refugee Application Center
By Sam Barron | Thursday, 18 December 2025 10:51 PM EST
The State Department is criticizing a recent raid of a center in Johannesburg, South Africa, that processed applications for the U.S. refugee program.
South African law enforcement detained seven Kenyan nationals working at the facility on Tuesday under suspicion of illegal employment, according to the Home Affairs Ministry. The center operated under the Trump administration’s new policy prioritizing white South Africans for U.S. refugee status.
The Kenyans were reportedly present alongside U.S. officials despite entering South Africa on tourist visas that prohibited work authorization. No U.S. officials were arrested during the raid, and the site was explicitly noted as not a diplomatic location.
The State Department stated that the incident constitutes “an attempt to intimidate U.S. government personnel in South Africa on official business.” It emphasized the United States will not tolerate such actions against its citizens or officials who operate lawfully abroad. The department also warned that publicly releasing personal identifying information endangers individuals in harm’s way.
Although staffed by U.S. refugee officers, the center is not an embassy and thus does not fall under U.S. sovereign territory. President Donald Trump previously established the lowest refugee admissions cap in U.S. history, directing most of the 7,500 available slots toward white South Africans. Critics have argued this move misuses the refugee program, which traditionally accepts individuals fleeing danger or persecution regardless of race.
Trump has repeatedly cited Afrikaners facing “hateful rhetoric” and “disproportionate violence,” stating the policy should prioritize those experiencing “illegal or unjust discrimination.” South Africa’s government has dismissed these claims as entirely false, noting it maintains formal diplomatic engagements with both the United States and Kenya to resolve the matter.
The seven Kenyans were issued deportation orders and banned from reentering South Africa for five years.
