• South African officials raided a US refugee processing center, detaining seven Kenyan nationals.
• The Kenyans, working illegally, entered South Africa on tourist visas and were issued deportation orders.
• This incident exacerbates ongoing tensions between the US and South Africa regarding refugee policies.

South African authorities conducted a raid on a U.S. refugee processing facility, detaining seven Kenyan nationals accused of working illegally at the site. The Kenyan nationals were involved in processing applications for white South Africans seeking refugee status under a controversial program initiated by President Trump, which prioritizes their claims based on alleged persecution. The incident not only highlights issues of illegal employment but also intensifies diplomatic tensions between the U.S. and South Africa, which dismisses claims of white persecution as unfounded, according to The Hill and Africanews.

The South African Ministry of Home Affairs reported that these individuals entered the country on tourist visas and were engaged in unauthorized work, despite earlier applications for work visas being denied. The arrests raise serious questions about diplomatic protocols, particularly regarding how foreign officials interact with undocumented workers. South Africa's government is progressing with formal diplomatic engagements with both the U.S. and Kenya to address this situation. Several reports also noted that no U.S. officials were detained during the raid, according to Reuters and BBC.

This raid follows claims made by Trump regarding the treatment of white South Africans and the need for a targeted refugee program to assist them. The U.S. has significantly cut its overall refugee admissions, with a cap as low as 7,500, prioritizing cases from the Afrikaner community due to alleged government-sponsored discrimination. South African officials continually assert that these claims lack merit and reflect broader tensions between the two nations over immigration and human rights standards, as highlighted in various articles including those from Al Jazeera and Reuters.

While the South African government maintains there is no foundation for claims of widespread persecution against white South Africans—who they classify as a relatively privileged group—they acknowledge the right of these individuals to apply for U.S. refugee status. The presence of foreign nationals working in coordination with undocumented individuals at the site has raised urgent questions about intent and propriety, according to the Home Affairs Ministry's statement, as reported by The Hill and BBC.