White South African Refugee Granted U.S. Asylum Despite Antisemitic Posts, Prompting Criticism of Trump Administration’s Policy

 A South African national of Afrikaner descent, recently granted refugee status under a Trump administration directive, has come under scrutiny for a documented history of antisemitic and xenophobic online content—raising questions over the administration’s immigration screening policies.

Charl Kleinhaus, who arrived in the U.S. this week along with 58 other white South Africans at Washington Dulles International Airport, was granted asylum citing alleged persecution in his home country. However, media investigations revealed that Kleinhaus’s social media presence includes multiple posts promoting antisemitic rhetoric and far-right ideologies.

In a 2023 post on X (formerly Twitter), Kleinhaus wrote, “Jews are untrustworthy and a dangerous group.” In another instance, he shared a now-deleted nationalist YouTube video titled, “‘We’ll shoot ILLEGAL Immigrants!’ – Poland’s Illegal Islamic immigrant solution,” accompanied by clapping emojis. He has also echoed widely discredited conspiracy theories suggesting that white South Africans are facing "genocide."

Kleinhaus has confirmed ownership of the social media account in question to outlets including The Bulwark and The New York Times, while denying antisemitic intent. He attributed at least one inflammatory post to an error made while under medication.

This development comes amid heightened controversy over the Trump administration’s immigration strategy, which has in recent months targeted pro-Palestinian demonstrators under the justification of combating antisemitism. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently announced a new policy to screen immigrant social media accounts for antisemitic content—criteria that, critics say, appear to have been selectively applied.

The DHS issued a statement asserting that all refugee applicants are subject to rigorous vetting and that any allegations of misconduct are thoroughly investigated. “DHS does not comment on individual application status,” a senior official added.

Kleinhaus, who according to his LinkedIn profile owns a mining enterprise in South Africa, told The New York Times that his family fled the country “for safety reasons.” His arrival in the U.S. follows an executive order signed by former President Donald Trump in February, which designated Afrikaners as a persecuted minority allegedly facing government inaction in South Africa.

Afrikaners, a white ethnic minority primarily descended from Dutch settlers, governed South Africa under apartheid until 1994, enforcing a regime of institutionalized racial segregation. In recent years, segments of the Afrikaner far-right—as well as figures such as Elon Musk and Donald Trump—have amplified unsubstantiated claims of a “white genocide” in South Africa.

The decision to resettle white South African refugees has provoked significant backlash, including from within long-established refugee support networks. The Episcopal Church, a key participant in U.S. refugee resettlement for decades, announced this week it would terminate its partnership with the government program.

“It has been painful to watch one group of refugees, selected in a highly unusual manner, receive preferential treatment over many others who have been waiting in refugee camps or dangerous conditions for years,” said the church’s presiding bishop, the Rt. Rev. Sean W. Rowe.

Charl Kleinhaus has not responded to recent media inquiries regarding the controversy.