Scholars have found migration adaptations to droughts and changing weather patterns globally 5, 6, 7 and in Asian 8, 9, African 10, 11 and Latin American 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 case studies. El Niño generally brings drier than average weather to the region during key growing months 3, impacts that are likely to become more severe as global temperatures rise 4. ENSO cycles are known to reduce certain crop yields in some regions 2. Climate change also intersects with and possibly accentuates other weather phenomena such as El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycles. Climate change has altered weather patterns making rainfall and temperature trends unpredictable.
Some have attributed increasing NTCA emigration rates to violence, limited economic opportunities, corruption, political instability, and, more recently, the adverse effects of climate change. These demographics demonstrate the broad scope of the issue, and suggest that the relocation is often permanent rather than temporary. According to CBP, 29% of these apprehensions were families (“individuals in a family unit” is the formal designation) 1.
The arrivals were not exclusively young adults seeking employment opportunities. Between 20, the US Border Patrol apprehended more than 1 million people traveling from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras (hereafter the Northern Triangle of Central America, or “NTCA”) 1.
