Secretary of State Marco Rubio rebuffed criticism over the United States accepting immigrants from South Africa, arguing the U.S. is fulfilling its reputation of being a “beacon” for the world.

The U.S. welcomed almost 50 refugees from South Africa this past week, marking the first group of Afrikaners, a white minority group in South Africa, to arrive under a new program offered by President Donald Trump. When asked about the president’s claim that there is a “genocide” happening in the foreign country, Rubio told CBS News the residents are “having their properties taken from them.”