John Eligon

And there's also been talk about economically what it could do to the country, that the country could be overburdened and overwhelmed with foreigners, and that can really hamper the country rather than help it.

And there's also been talk about economically what it could do to the country, that the country could be overburdened and overwhelmed with foreigners, and that can really hamper the country rather than help it.

Right. And I think that brings us to this very surprising scene we saw just a few days ago.

Right. And I think that brings us to this very surprising scene we saw just a few days ago.

We had dozens of refugees arriving at Dulles Airport, and they certainly did not look like all of those who'd been suspended from coming.

We had dozens of refugees arriving at Dulles Airport, and they certainly did not look like all of those who'd been suspended from coming.

So these were white South Africans, specifically Afrikaners, who are an ethnic minority in South Africa.

So these were white South Africans, specifically Afrikaners, who are an ethnic minority in South Africa.

They had a lot of luggage, you know, all their belongings. They came into an airport hangar, and they were given this big reception by some of the top officials in the U.S. government welcoming them here.

They had a lot of luggage, you know, all their belongings. They came into an airport hangar, and they were given this big reception by some of the top officials in the U.S. government welcoming them here.

So about a month after Trump signed that executive order suspending the refugee program, he signed another executive order that essentially allowed this group of Afrikaners to come to the United States as refugees. So essentially what Trump was saying was that they can open the refugee program for this small group of white South Africans, but them alone.

So about a month after Trump signed that executive order suspending the refugee program, he signed another executive order that essentially allowed this group of Afrikaners to come to the United States as refugees. So essentially what Trump was saying was that they can open the refugee program for this small group of white South Africans, but them alone.

So what's the story of how this group of white South Africans somehow becomes the single exception to President Trump's deeply skeptical relationship to refugees? The one group that gets through.

So what's the story of how this group of white South Africans somehow becomes the single exception to President Trump's deeply skeptical relationship to refugees? The one group that gets through.

Well, let me tell you a little bit about the Afrikaners, Michael, because it goes back a long way. So back in 1652, Jan van Riebeck was a Dutch settler who sort of started the colonial settlement of what's now South Africa. And over time, these Dutch settlers, as well as other settlers from Germany, from France and other parts of Europe, would come in.

Well, let me tell you a little bit about the Afrikaners, Michael, because it goes back a long way. So back in 1652, Jan van Riebeck was a Dutch settler who sort of started the colonial settlement of what's now South Africa. And over time, these Dutch settlers, as well as other settlers from Germany, from France and other parts of Europe, would come in.

And out of that would sort of rise this new ethnicity called Afrikaners, which is a mix of these various, you know, European settlers who came in and settled there. And pretty early on, you know, with the locals who were already in South Africa at the time, there were clashes, right? I mean, there were fights over land. There were struggles and tensions.

And out of that would sort of rise this new ethnicity called Afrikaners, which is a mix of these various, you know, European settlers who came in and settled there. And pretty early on, you know, with the locals who were already in South Africa at the time, there were clashes, right? I mean, there were fights over land. There were struggles and tensions.

And the story gets even more complicated over the years as the British come to South Africa, right? And while the British... took a lot of the economic power in the country, the Afrikaners amassed political power. And so then came elections in 1948, which Black people were not allowed to participate in. And in that election, an Afrikaner-led party won control of the government.

And the story gets even more complicated over the years as the British come to South Africa, right? And while the British... took a lot of the economic power in the country, the Afrikaners amassed political power. And so then came elections in 1948, which Black people were not allowed to participate in. And in that election, an Afrikaner-led party won control of the government.