Bennington, Vermont

Brattleboro, Vermont — a liberal town of about 12,000 — has become an unlikely destination for dozens of Afrikaner refugees admitted under a Trump administration policy that ended broader refugee resettlement while carving out an exception for white South Africans. The administration cited claims of "white genocide" against Afrikaners, an assertion researchers, including South Africa's Institute for Security Studies, say is not supported by crime data; white South Africans are statistically less at risk of violent crime than other groups.

The policy has created friction locally. The Episcopal Church withdrew from federal resettlement work over the "preferential treatment," and some refugee advocates call the program discriminatory, noting it followed Trump's suspension of protections for Afghan allies and other refugee groups. Resettlement agencies in Vermont, whose funding depends on client numbers, chose to continue operating rather than shut down. By fall, up to 70 Afrikaners were expected in Brattleboro, with dozens more elsewhere in the state. Afrikaners interviewed described mixed feelings about the "refugee" label but said they found ready work, housing, and a welcoming community.