Bangladesh, Dec. 18 -- A diplomatic dispute between Washington and Pretoria has intensified after South African authorities raided a facility in Johannesburg involved in processing refugee applications bound for the United States, arresting seven Kenyan nationals accused of violating immigration laws. The incident has drawn sharp reactions from the US government, which has demanded explanations and assurances from South Africa, while Pretoria has defended the operation as lawful and consistent with domestic immigration enforcement.

According to reports, the raid was carried out by South Africas Department of Home Affairs in collaboration with other law enforcement agencies, following what officials described as an intelligence-driven inv...