Biden's order closes the southern border to most asylum seekers when daily crossings exceed 2,500, risking heat-related illnesses and deaths.
The policy forces migrants to wait in extreme conditions, with limited exceptions for entry.
Critics argue the directive undermines climate-driven migration relief and is politically motivated.
Key quote:
“This executive order being issued at this time is an additional cruelty that will force more people into dangerous conditions where they’re exposed to a really severe climate impact.”
— Ahmed Gaya, director of the Climate Justice Collaborative at the National Partnership for New Americans
Why this matters:
Biden's policy could worsen health risks for migrants as climate change increases global temperatures. It contradicts previous promises to prioritize climate-related migration, raising concerns about the administration's commitment to climate justice.
To protect climate migrants who were forced to leave their country, some legal scholars have proposed amending the definition of refugee in the Refugee Convention of 1951 to consider environmental degradation a form of persecution.
Extreme weather is already the leading cause of forced displacement worldwide, and as climate change accelerates, environmental catastrophes will increasingly drive migration.
