In a shake-up of US immigration policies, many refugees find themselves waiting indefinitely as the government fast-tracks the acceptance of certain groups, particularly white South Africans, while others face uncertainty. Pacito, a refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo, expressed his struggle after being left homeless with his family in Kenya when his resettlement to the US was abruptly canceled due to President Donald Trump's suspension of the refugee program. He’s among 120,000 refugees who had completed the extensive vetting process only to be left in limbo.
Trump's administration has made a significant shift in refugee policies, criticizing various immigrant groups while recently signing an order to expedite pathways for Afrikaners claiming "racial discrimination" in South Africa. This decision sparked outrage among those who believe that fairness should apply universally to all refugees, including Afghan allies and persecuted religious minorities. Timothy Young from Global Refuge voiced concerns that humanitarian pathways should not favor one group over others, stating that all cases of protection should be grounded in proven threats.
The feelings of unfairness are echoed by other refugees, like the Hammad family from Gaza, who, having applied for US green cards, expressed disbelief over the US government's prioritization of white South Africans over the suffering of countless others. With the backdrop of rising violence and killings in their home regions, many refugees are left in precarious situations, unable to return yet with dwindling hope of resettlement in a country that seems increasingly closed off to those in need.
