Key facts
- Donald Trump's immigration policies are disproportionately targeting individuals from countries highly vulnerable to climate change impacts.
- A significant number of nations facing US entry restrictions are ranked among the most susceptible to climate-driven disasters like storms, floods, and droughts.
- Countries like Chad, Niger, Sudan, Somalia, and Sierra Leone, all highly climate-vulnerable, face full or partial US entry bans.
- The administration's efforts to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for individuals from climate-vulnerable nations are also noted.
- Experts recognize a growing population of 'climate refugees' but highlight the lack of official legal pathways for their protection.
Donald Trump's administration is implementing immigration policies that disproportionately affect individuals from countries most vulnerable to climate change-induced disasters, according to a Guardian analysis.
Of the 39 countries subject to full or partial entry restrictions by the US, 22 are ranked within the most vulnerable quarter globally to climate impacts, based on data from the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative. Nations like Chad and Niger, considered the most climate-vulnerable, along with Sudan, Somalia, and Sierra Leone, are among those facing complete or significant entry bans.
The analysis highlights how these policies impact individuals fleeing extreme weather events, such as Hurricane Mitch, which devastated Honduras in 1998, forcing families to seek refuge in the US. Despite the increasing frequency and intensity of such disasters due to global warming, Trump's administration has made it harder for people like Evelyn, who was displaced by Mitch, to find safety in the US.
Furthermore, the administration is attempting to revoke Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for individuals already in the US from countries like Honduras, Syria, and Haiti, many of which are highly susceptible to climate-related events. While environmental perils have been cited for granting TPS, the administration's broader immigration stance prioritizes national security concerns, with Trump stating the bans aim to prevent the entry of 'radical Islamic terrorists'.
Globally, the United Nations estimates that 250 million people have been displaced by climate-related disasters in the last decade. Experts acknowledge a growing number of 'climate refugees' but note the absence of official legal frameworks, such as the UN's 1951 refugee convention, that recognize environmental disasters as grounds for protection. Advocates explain that climate change often acts as a precursor to other crises, such as violence or food insecurity, which then become the basis for asylum claims.
The report also criticizes the administration's broader approach to climate change and aid, noting Trump's dismissal of climate science and cuts to foreign aid programs like USAID, which are projected to have severe consequences for child mortality in vulnerable regions. The administration's policies are seen as likely to increase displacement while simultaneously making it harder for those displaced to seek refuge in the US.