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.
Exceptional winter heat in the Andean mountains of South America has surged to 37C, prompting local scientists to warn the worst may be yet to come as human-caused climate disruption and El Niño cause havoc across the region.
A geological coincidence placed the Galapagos Islands in the line of an icy current that provides food and shelter in a warming ocean. The good news might not last for long.
The presidents of Colombia and Venezuela on Tuesday launched a call at the COP27 climate summit for a wide-ranging alliance to protect the Amazon, the planet’s biggest tropical forest.
