The Episcopal Church’s migration services have chosen to defy a recent federal directive to assist in the resettlement of white South African refugees, citing their deep-rooted dedication to issues of racial equity and healing.

Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe announced the decision on Monday, just as 59 South African nationals arrived via private charter at Dulles International Airport near Washington, D.C., where they were received by U.S. officials.

Rowe explained that, as a result, Episcopal Migration Ministries will now end its long-standing alliance with the federal government in refugee efforts.

During the Trump administration, white South Africans were granted expedited refugee status based on claims of victimization — a process that unfolded even as the administration largely shut down the broader U.S. refugee admissions program. This bypass placed them ahead of many refugees who had spent years undergoing interviews and security checks.

The Episcopal Church’s migration arm has for decades participated in refugee support under federal funding. However, Rowe shared that the government recently informed them of its expectations to assist with the new South African arrivals as part of their existing obligations.

“Given our church’s firm dedication to racial justice and our connection with the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, we find ourselves unable to comply with this request,” Rowe stated. “Therefore, by the close of the federal fiscal year, we will exit from our government-funded refugee resettlement programs.”

The South African government has roundly rejected any suggestions that it discriminates against its white citizens.

“It is disheartening to witness a single group being offered an accelerated path to refuge, while countless others—waiting under precarious or life-threatening conditions—are left behind,” Rowe continued. “I am especially grieved for those who served alongside U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, only to face danger and exclusion today.”

Rowe further emphasized that numerous individuals denied entry are Christians and others fleeing religious persecution.

He added that the church remains committed to serving immigrant communities, including those already in the U.S. and those stuck abroad.

This decision effectively ends a nearly 40-year collaboration between Episcopal Migration Ministries and the government—a partnership that has aided close to 110,000 displaced persons from regions such as Ukraine, Myanmar, and the Congo, Rowe noted.

Conflicts between the Episcopal Church and the Trump administration are not new. In January, Bishop Mariann Budde of Washington, D.C., drew presidential ire during an inaugural service when she called for empathy toward groups vulnerable to the administration’s policies, such as LGBTQ+ youth and migrants.

The Anglican Church of Southern Africa, a key player in the struggle against apartheid and home to the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu—who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984—includes congregations throughout South Africa and neighboring nations.

Church World Service, another religiously affiliated refugee group, has expressed readiness to assist the incoming South Africans.

“We are troubled by the government’s small-scale prioritization of white Afrikaners, all while resisting legal obligations to resettle other vulnerable populations,” said Rick Santos, President and CEO of CWS, in a statement.

He also pointed out that this effort demonstrates the government’s ability to expedite refugee processing when it chooses to.

“Even in light of these circumstances, CWS remains deeply committed to aiding all eligible refugees, regardless of origin—including the newly arrived Afrikaners,” Santos added. “Our moral convictions urge us to treat every individual with dignity and care.”

CWS and Episcopal Migration Ministries are part of a coalition of ten national organizations, predominantly faith-based, that have historically worked alongside the government on refugee resettlement programs.