Meet the new American refugees fleeing across state lines for safety

Hundreds of thousands of people are packing up boxes, loading U-Hauls, and shipping out of state in an urgent flight towards safety. And so, in September 2023, the Smith family joined the ranks of America’s internal refugees. “If that were to pass, someone could arrest my teenager and she would have a felony on her record for the rest of her life,” Sandra said. About 40% of her lab’s income came from state funding, which put it in danger as climate crisis denialism spread. A few months after she left, DeSantis signed into law HB 1645 erasing the phrase “climate change” from state statutes.