US immigration policy has a huge blind spot: climate change

illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Verge or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: President Biden, despite advancing climate policy, has left a critical gap for climate migrants, a group growing due to climate-driven disasters worldwide
• Without formal protections, migrants escaping ecological catastrophes face a U.S. immigration system unprepared for their specific needs

🔭 The context: Biden initially proposed reforms to address climate displacement, raising advocates' hopes, but the U.S. still lacks policies to assist those forced to flee environmental disasters
• Temporary Protected Status (TPS) offers some relief but is limited and excludes new arrivals, leaving many unprotected

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Climate change is displacing millions, especially from countries vulnerable to extreme weather events
• Without dedicated immigration measures for climate migrants, the U.S. risks excluding many who seek refuge from the impacts of a warming planet

⏭️ What's next: Prospects for comprehensive climate migration policies remain dim, with Congress stalling on the Climate Displaced Persons Act
• If Kamala Harris wins the 2024 election, she may leverage existing TPS protections for climate migrants, but lasting policy solutions are still distant

💬 One quote: “There’s been this push towards more xenophobic immigration policies…that has significant implications…for how people can seek safety as…our climate is changing,” - Ama Francis, IRAP's Climate Director

📈 One stat: Roughly 43% of surveyed migrants reported fleeing climate-related disasters like flooding, hurricanes, and extreme heat

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