Federal Immigration Rules Spark State Lawsuits and Community Strain

A new analysis shows that Donald Trump’s sweeping immigration restrictions are hitting hardest in countries already devastated by rising temperatures, extreme weather and vanishing resources. Of the 39 nations now facing full or partial U.S. entry bans or visa pauses, 22 rank among the world’s most climate-vulnerable, according to data from the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative examined by the Guardian.

The two countries judged most at risk, Chad and Niger, are under complete travel prohibitions, as are Sudan, Somalia and Sierra Leone, all within the top 10 on the vulnerability index. Honduras, ranked in the most exposed half of nations, has endured intensified storms, prolonged droughts and coastal erosion that have destroyed crops and forced repeated waves of migration.

The administration has simultaneously moved to expand domestic fossil-fuel production, a policy choice that scientists say will accelerate the very warming driving displacement in those same regions. Associate professor Danielle Wood of Notre Dame noted that nearly every country at the extreme end of the index now confronts some form of entry restriction.

The pattern extends beyond outright bans. In March the Small Business Administration quietly barred green-card holders from its loan programs for the first time in agency history, cutting off capital to entrepreneurs such as Sayuri Tsuchitani, a Japanese permanent resident who used an SBA loan to open three Japanese head-spa locations in Los Angeles and hire nine employees. Officials have also paused visa processing for many applicants and eliminated work permits and other benefits previously available to legal residents.

A year after high-profile ICE operations in Los Angeles, enforcement has shifted from large-scale raids toward quieter but more pervasive barriers that make daily life untenable for both undocumented immigrants and lawful permanent residents. Travel between states, tax filing and medical visits now carry heightened risk of detention or status questions.

House Democrats, led by Representative Mike Levin, are pressing acting ICE director David Venturella to rescind a new rule requiring lawmakers to name specific detainees and obtain signed consent forms at least two business days in advance of oversight visits. The change, they argue, shields facilities from scrutiny at a moment when complaints of mistreatment, deaths in custody and inadequate conditions have reached historic levels.

White House officials maintain the measures target security threats and fulfill campaign pledges on border enforcement. Yet the data reveal a consistent focus on nations least responsible for global emissions and least equipped to adapt. As climate shocks intensify, the United States is closing its doors to the very populations already paying the highest price.