Key facts
- Donald Trump's immigration policies disproportionately affect people from countries highly vulnerable to climate change impacts.
- 22 out of 39 countries with US entry restrictions are ranked in the most vulnerable quarter globally to climate impacts.
- Nations like Chad, Niger, Sudan, Somalia, and Sierra Leone, among the most climate-vulnerable, face US entry bans.
- The administration is also attempting to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for individuals from several climate-vulnerable countries already in the US.
- The UN estimates 250 million people have been displaced globally by climate-driven disasters in the last decade.
A Guardian analysis indicates that the immigration policies enacted by the Trump administration disproportionately impact individuals from nations most vulnerable to climate change-induced disasters. The analysis, using data from the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative, found that 22 out of 39 countries with full or partial US entry restrictions are ranked within the most vulnerable quarter globally to climate impacts.
These countries are experiencing severe effects from extreme weather events such as storms, floods, and droughts, which are intensified by the climate crisis. Chad and Niger, identified as the two most climate-vulnerable countries, along with Sudan, Somalia, and Sierra Leone, are among the top 10 most exposed nations and face complete US entry bans. Honduras, also significantly affected by stronger rainstorms, droughts, floods, and coastal erosion, is included in the list of countries within the most vulnerable half.
The administration has also pursued the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for individuals from Honduras and 12 other countries residing in the US, many of which are highly climate-vulnerable. The US Supreme Court is currently reviewing appeals related to TPS revocations for Syria and Haiti, countries that have recently faced droughts, hurricanes, and unrest.
Trump has stated that these immigration bans are intended to prevent the entry of "radical Islamic terrorists" and to address vetting deficiencies. However, the UN estimates that 250 million people worldwide have been displaced by climate-driven disasters over the past decade. Experts highlight a growing population of "climate refugees" for whom no official legal pathways for protection exist, as neither US law nor the UN refugee convention recognizes environmental disasters as grounds for asylum.
Advocates suggest that climate change often acts as a precursor to other misfortunes, such as violence or crop failure, which then become the stated reasons for asylum claims. While the US is the largest historical emitter of greenhouse gases, Trump has characterized climate change as a "hoax." The administration has also effectively halted the US refugee program, with exceptions for white South Africans, and reduced overseas aid aimed at mitigating climate change impacts.