Ever since the divisive, internecine battles almost a decade ago, Sierra Club has steered clear of taking decisive postions on immigration - until April 24 when their board unanimously endorsed a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.
Arguably no issue more than immigration has divided the country's largest environmental organization, the Sierra Club. For environmentalists who feel that the preeminent environmental issue is population growth, immigration to the U.S. is part of the problem.
Lisa Hymas provides some background and references regarding the decision by the Board of Directors - directly elected by the 1.4 million members, of the largest environmental organization in the U.S.
Over the past decade and a half, the club has had vicious leadership battles over immigration and population.
Anna Palmer And Darren Samuelsohn of Politico Pro add, "Sierra Club leaders in the mid-2000s fought off an insurgent effort trying to have the club take an explicitly anti-immigration stance, with some members claiming it was needed to overcome the effects of more people living more consumptive American life styles. The effort fell apart after a pitched battle."
In the club's press release, Executive Director Michael Brune states:
The 20 million Americans with family members whose legal status is in limbo share the Sierra Club's concerns about climate and the environment. Yet, this vital set of stakeholders and change agents has been denied civil rights. The Sierra Club is committed to partnering with all who share our urgent concerns about advancing our democracy and fighting the climate crisis.”
Others have made the connection of immigration to environmentalism and urbanism. Sudha Nandagopal of Grist wrote on April 16, "How immigration reform can lead us to a stronger environmental movement." Planetizen reported on April 25 on a Richard Florida essay as to "why more liberal policies could be a boon for America's cities."
The club's new position occurred three days after the 175th birthday of the their founder, John Muir, himself an immigrant from Scotland.
FULL STORY: Sierra Club comes out in favor of immigration reform

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions
An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.

What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?
The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.

Sean Duffy Targets Rainbow Crosswalks in Road Safety Efforts
Despite evidence that colorful crosswalks actually improve intersection safety — and the lack of almost any crosswalks at all on the nation’s most dangerous arterial roads — U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy is calling on states to remove them.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie