SOUTH AFRICA — The Trump administration suggested funding research on crime against minority populations in South Africa, with the targeted group being the white ethnic population known as Afrikaners. State Department staff were previously instructed to begin awarding funds to a group called Lex Libertas, though the proposed grant was later opened to allow a broader set of invited groups to apply for $1 million in funding.

Lex Libertas was founded by an individual who has called for Afrikaner self-governance. The organization is currently fundraising to place 3,000 white crosses on the National Mall in remembrance of attacks on South African farmers. The NYYRC and Lex Libertas hosted a meeting with the White House’s National Security Council and the State Department on March 31st, 2026, to discuss the state of affairs in South Africa and the work of Lex Libertas concerning farm murders and anti-White discrimination.

The State Department declined to say whether Lex Libertas will be among those invited to compete for the grant. A State Department spokesperson stated that programs are still in active deliberation and receipt of a grant is not guaranteed to any organization that does not meet all requirements and standards for federal grants. The official record states that the Trump administration has serious concerns about the human rights situation in South Africa that need to be addressed, according to the State Department.

Extensive research has found that white South African farmers are not victims of crime at higher rates than other groups. Afrikaners were responsible for creating South Africa's apartheid system. Mattie Webb is a professor at the Virginia Military Institute who studies South Africa and U.S. foreign policy.

In the last 18 months, President Donald Trump has argued there is a genocide of white South Africans. President Donald Trump used claims that white people are subjected to disproportionate violence to justify cutting off U.S. funding for HIV treatment and research. President Donald Trump has welcomed white South Africans and fast-tracked their entry into the United States.

The proposed grant process intersects with broader administrative actions regarding health funding and immigration policy. PureSource News previously reported that the Trump Administration delayed $9.4 billion in health funding. PureSource News also previously reported that the House voted on a $70 billion immigration funding package. Additionally, PureSource News previously reported that the Justice Department opened a compliance review into Harvard University China-based aid programs.

Legal and policy analyses have examined the administration's approach to domestic and international regulations. Research titled If Donald Trump implements his proposed policies, we'll see him in court appears in Human Rights Documents Online. Research titled Inside the Trump Administration’s Proposed Medicaid Managed Care Rule was published in 2018 in Forefront Group. The Department of State has also engaged in rulemaking regarding the Exchange Visitor Program-General Provisions, amending general rules covering the designation of sponsors and overall administration to address public diplomacy and foreign policy concerns.

Why It Matters

The proposed grant aligns with broader administrative actions linking claims of disproportionate violence against white South Africans to cuts in HIV funding and fast-tracked U.S. immigration entries. This approach proceeds despite research indicating white farmers are not victimized at higher rates than other groups, while focusing aid on a demographic historically responsible for establishing apartheid. The funding process intersects with ongoing policy shifts regarding health allocations and entry requirements based on the administration's specific human rights assessments.