Minnesota State Wire

Jason Lewis, a representative from Minnesota, has attributed the lack of support for refugee status for South African farmers to political bias. This statement was made on the social media platform X.

"Why is it Democrats and the media (but I repeat myself) have no time for allowing 59 South African farmers into the US as refugees," said Lewis. "Well ok, we all know why. Up until last week they were too busy commemorating the George Floyd riots."

In early 2025, the Trump administration issued an executive order prioritizing refugee status for white South African Afrikaner farmers. The order cited land seizures and racial persecution as reasons for this prioritization. According to Reuters, this policy marked a departure from previous U.S. refugee standards and attracted international criticism. South African officials rejected these claims, describing the narrative as politically motivated. The move reignited debates over racial bias and geopolitical strategy in U.S. immigration policy.

Between 2020 and 2024, the United States granted asylum to only eight out of 74 South African applicants, reflecting an 11% approval rate. According to the Department of Justice, this figure increased significantly in 2025 when the Trump administration expedited resettlement for 59 white Afrikaner farmers. Critics argue that this sudden shift suggests preferential treatment based on race, deviating from established refugee norms.

U.S. refugee admissions have varied dramatically across different administrations. The Trump administration set a historic low cap of 15,000 annual entries in 2021. As reported by USAFacts, the Biden administration raised this ceiling to 125,000 per year from 2022 to 2024. However, the prioritization of certain groups under Trump-era policies raised questions about equitable application of refugee status.

Lewis is a former Republican congressman from Minnesota who served in the U.S. House from 2017 to 2019 and later ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate. According to Axios and Wikipedia, he previously worked as a radio host and faced criticism for racially charged remarks, including comments minimizing slavery's impact and suggesting entitlement among minority groups. His views have influenced his support for strict immigration policies.

Minnesota’s congressional delegation has historically supported refugee resettlement; however, recent sanctuary policy proposals have revealed partisan divides within the state. As reported by Representative Pete Stauber’s official site, Republican members of the delegation publicly opposed efforts to designate Minnesota as a sanctuary state, arguing that such measures hinder law enforcement and federal cooperation—reflecting broader national tensions over immigration enforcement.