The United States has been added to the Civicus Monitor Watchlist, signaling a significant deterioration in civic freedoms under President Donald Trump’s second administration. Civicus, a global civil rights watchdog that tracks civic space across 198 countries, released its first watchlist of 2025, highlighting systematic threats to democratic principles and international cooperation in the U.S.
Reasons for U.S. Inclusion on the Watchlist
Since President Trump’s inauguration on January 20, 2025, his administration has issued at least 125 executive orders, many of which have rolled back civil liberties and human rights protections. Among the most concerning measures are the dismantling of federal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, which have been falsely framed as discriminatory. The administration has also introduced policies targeting undocumented migrants, transgender individuals, and other marginalized communities.
The government’s actions have disrupted civil society organizations, both within the U.S. and internationally. The arbitrary suspension of foreign aid and an extensive freeze on federal funding have forced many human rights and humanitarian organizations to scale back or shut down operations, leading to legal challenges over the lack of clear guidelines.
The Trump administration has also moved to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), laying off thousands of employees and withdrawing from key international bodies such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Human Rights Council. Further moves include exiting the Paris Climate Agreement, rejecting the Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, and imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), targeting both its personnel and entities that cooperate with it. These decisions have been widely criticized for undermining global efforts on human rights, climate justice, and civic freedoms.
Crackdown on Freedom of Assembly and Protest
The U.S. government’s restrictions on peaceful assembly have escalated, particularly in response to protests supporting Palestinian solidarity and climate justice. On November 21, 2024, the House of Representatives passed a bill allowing the Treasury Department to revoke the tax-exempt status of non-profits accused of supporting terrorism, granting broad executive power to financially cripple civil society organizations without due process.
Additionally, a crackdown on pro-Palestinian activism at university campuses has led to harsh sanctions against students and faculty members. On January 30, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order ostensibly combating antisemitism but effectively targeting pro-Palestinian activists. This order has resulted in the cancellation of visas and deportation of non-citizen college students involved in protests, with reports alleging that far-right groups are compiling lists of activists for potential deportation.
Environmental activism has also faced intensified suppression, with authorities targeting protesters against the Mountain Valley Pipeline project in Virginia and banks supporting fossil fuel expansion. Notably, the fossil fuel industry’s influence on anti-protest legislation has been exposed through lawsuits such as the $300 million legal action against Greenpeace by the company behind the Dakota Access Pipeline.
Furthermore, legislative efforts to restrict protests are on the rise, with at least 12 state-level bills introduced between January and February 2025 aiming to impose new restrictions on demonstrations. Several states, including Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, New York, and North Dakota, have introduced laws criminalizing the use of masks during protests, increasing surveillance and intimidation tactics. Minnesota’s proposed legislation (SF 1363) could introduce legal consequences for individuals supporting protests near public service infrastructure, further eroding the right to peaceful assembly.
Threats to Press Freedom and Access to Information
Concerns about press freedom have mounted as the administration enacts restrictive policies targeting journalists. On February 11, 2025, two Associated Press (AP) journalists were banned from White House press briefings due to the agency’s editorial policy referring to the Gulf of Mexico by its internationally recognized name rather than the administration’s preferred “Gulf of America.” AP’s subsequent lawsuit was denied by a federal judge, reinforcing the administration’s power to determine press access at its discretion.
On February 25, the White House press secretary announced that the administration would selectively determine which media outlets are allowed to join the presidential press pool, further limiting independent journalism’s access to government affairs.
Civicus Monitor’s Assessment of the U.S.
The U.S. currently holds a “narrowed” rating in Civicus Monitor’s five-tier classification system (open, narrowed, obstructed, repressed, and closed). Under Trump’s previous presidency, the country’s rating had declined to “obstructed” due to responses to Black Lives Matter protests and restrictive environmental protest laws. Though the rating improved under President Joe Biden’s administration, Civicus now warns that the U.S. may revert to an “obstructed” status given the recent crackdown on civil liberties.
Civicus Co-Secretary General Mandeep Tiwana stated that “restrictive executive orders, unjustifiable institutional cutbacks, and intimidation tactics through threatening pronouncements by senior officials in the administration are creating an atmosphere to chill democratic dissent, a cherished American ideal.”
Alongside the U.S., the latest Civicus Monitor Watchlist includes the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Italy, Pakistan, and Serbia. Previous watchlist countries have included Zimbabwe, Argentina, El Salvador, and the United Arab Emirates.
Civicus has characterized Trump’s governance as an “unparalleled attack on the rule of law” unseen since McCarthyism in the mid-20th century. The organization further asserts that the president’s actions undermine the fundamental democratic principle of checks and balances, raising serious concerns for the future of civic freedoms in the United States.
Manbilas Singh is a talented writer and journalist who focuses on the finer details in every story and values integrity above everything. A self-proclaimed sleuth, he strives to expose the fine print behind seemingly mundane activities and aims to uncover the truth that is hidden from the general public. In his time away from work, he is a music aficionado and a nerd who revels in video & board games, books and Formula 1.
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