As climate change increasingly becomes a major issue in the Democratic presidential primary, more candidates are releasing detailed plans to deal with the crisis. But so far only two — Julian Castro and Beto O’Rourke — have connected the issue to immigration.
Castro’s “People and Planet First” plan envisions creating a new refugee category for communities immigrating after climate disasters. And O’Rourke has hinted that he would treat migrants driven by “push factors” like drought as refugees.
This is a welcome acknowledgment of the role the climate crisis plays in displacing people. But accepting climate refugees alone isn’t enough. Any holistic climate plan should also dismantle the militarized status quo at the border.
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