U.S. Imposes Visa Restrictions on South African Nationals Over Alleged Racial Discrimination and Land Seizures
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced visa restrictions Tuesday targeting South African nationals he said are responsible for race-based discrimination, uncompensated land seizures, or incitement of violence against minority groups. The restrictions are imposed under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows the secretary to deem foreign nationals inadmissible when their entry could have serious adverse foreign policy consequences. South Africa's foreign ministry said Wednesday it had noted the restrictions "with concern" and stated the U.S. had misrepresented its policies.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Tuesday that the Trump administration would impose visa restrictions on South African nationals deemed responsible for, or complicit in, enacting laws or policies that the State Department says enable uncompensated land seizures, race-based discrimination, or the incitement of imminent violence against minority ethnic or racial groups. Family members of those targeted may also be subject to the restrictions, according to the State Department.
The restrictions were announced under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. In a post on X, Rubio wrote that "the South African people are being failed by a government that is destroying its economy through an obsessive pursuit of racial grievance against the Afrikaner minority," and that "those responsible for these injustices have no place in the United States," according to Fox News.
The announcement follows a February 2025 executive order signed by President Trump directing federal agencies to halt aid to South Africa and directing the State and Homeland Security departments to prioritize humanitarian relief for Afrikaners. That order specifically cited South Africa's Expropriation Act and accused the government of enabling seizures of Afrikaner agricultural property without compensation, as reported by Fox News.