Afrikaner Refugee Says Antisemitic Post Was From Meds

The first group of white South Africans taking the Trump administration up on a controversial relocation program has arrived in the US, with the Afrikaners claiming they're facing violence and threats of land seizures back home. "We never expected this land expropriation thing to go so far," 46-year-old Charl Kleinhaus, set to be resettled in Buffalo, New York, with his children and grandson, tells Reuters. That outlet wasn't able to confirm Kleinhaus' allegations of threats against his life or of an attempted land grab of the farm he says he owns in Limpopo, nor was Al Jazeera, which notes that Kleinhaus wasn't required to show any proof to apply for refugee status in the US.

The New York Times reports that Kleinhaus has posted antisemitic comments in the past on social media, which the Trump administration has used as justification for deporting immigrants here who are supporting Palestine. One since-deleted April 2023 post in question on the @charlkleinhaus account on X, called Jews a "dangerous group" and "untrustworthy," as well as asserting they're "not Gods chosen." Kleinhaus doesn't deny the post to the Times, but he says he was on meds for a kidney stone when he wrote it. "I come from Jewish descendants, and I have huge respect for them," he notes.

Kleinhaus also posted a video from a Facebook account called "Israel Is a Terrorist State" that showed Christian congregants scuffling with Israel police. "Jews attacking Christians!" Kleinhaus captioned that footage in October 2023, in a still-live tweet. He now tells the Times that he supports Israel and just wanted to protect Christians. This all comes as the Trump administration faces criticism for halting basically all other refugee initiatives except for the one helping the white Afrikaners. The Department of Homeland Security didn't comment specifically on Kleinhaus, but said in a statement to the Times that it "vets all refugee applicants" and that "any claims of misconduct are thoroughly investigated, and appropriate action will be taken as necessary." (More South Africa stories.)