• South African authorities raided a U.S. refugee facility, arresting seven Kenyans for illegal work.
• The raid is expected to intensify diplomatic tensions between South Africa and the U.S.
• The Trump administration's controversial refugee resettlement program prioritizes white Afrikaners.
• All arrested Kenyans face deportation and a five-year ban from returning to South Africa.
• No U.S. officials were arrested during the raid, which took place at a non-diplomatic site.

South African authorities raided a U.S. refugee processing center in Johannesburg, detaining seven Kenyans who were illegally working there. The center processes applications for a controversial refugee program aimed at white Afrikaners, leading to rising tensions in diplomatic relations between South Africa and the U.S., especially under the Trump administration, which has faced criticism for its approach to refugee applications based on race. The U.S. State Department deemed the raid "unacceptable" and voiced its concern about interference in refugee operations, according to Los Angeles Times and The Hill.

The arrests of the Kenyan nationals stemmed from intelligence reports that they had entered South Africa on tourist visas and were working at the processing center despite their visa conditions. The South African Home Affairs Ministry clarified that previous visa applications for these individuals had been denied, and as a result, they would now face deportation and a five-year ban from re-entering the country. This operation has sparked further diplomatic efforts between South Africa and the U.S., aimed at clarifying the situation, as reported by Reuters and BBC.

The contentious U.S. refugee program has been closely linked to controversial claims made by President Trump regarding the supposed persecution of Afrikaners in South Africa, which have been widely refuted by South African officials. The U.S. has significantly reduced its overall refugee intake, prioritizing applications from white South Africans despite the absence of evidence supporting claims of their persecution. U.S. governmental sources affirmed they had contracted a Kenya-based organization, RSC Africa, to aid in processing applications, contributing to ongoing questions about the legality of the Kenyans' work, according to Al Jazeera and Africa News.

As the Trump administration aims to facilitate greater resettlement of white Afrikaners to the U.S. under the banner of escaping persecution, the South African government has firmly rejected these allegations, citing the lack of supporting data. In the wake of the raid, diplomatic relations appear to be at a low point, with South Africa's government expressing concern over the implications of foreigners coordinating with undocumented workers, potentially complicating international relations further, as detailed in Los Angeles Times, The Hill, and Reuters.