International civil rights organization CIVICUS on Monday added the US to its Monitor Watchlist of countries experiencing a decline in civic freedoms due to executive overreach.
CIVICUS said in a press release that the decision comes after the Trump administration’s recent “assault on democratic norms and global cooperation,” and that the administration’s actions have “severely impact[ed] constitutional freedoms.” CIVICUS interim co-secretary-gGeneral Mandeep Tiwana stated that Trump’s actions were aimed at undoing the “system of checks and balances which are the pillars of a democratic society.” The organization also cited concerns over the Trump administration’s mass firings of government employees, appointing “Trump loyalists” to the Department of Justice and to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and dismantling of US international initiatives.
CIVICUS has expressed growing concern over the Trump administration’s latest restrictions on free speech rights, stating in its press release that White House authorities continue to deny media outlets—such as the Associated Press—access to presidential briefings. CIVICUS also took aim at the Trump administration’s “crackdown” on pro-Palestine activists, arguing that its cancellation of protestors’ student visas and reinstatement of a 2019 executive order are intended to “repress” Palestine activism.
CIVICUS ranks on a five-point scale each country’s civic space conditions which are “open,” “narrowed,” “obstructed,” “repressed” or “closed.” While CIVICUS determined that the US currently has a “narrowed” civic space designation on its watchlist, the organization warned that continued crackdowns on dissent and press freedoms could lead to further deterioration into its “obstructed,” “repressed,” or “closed” classifications. The US’s “narrowed” ranking means that people living in the country can still exercise civic freedoms — such as association, peaceful assembly, and expression—but that government authorities can still violate these rights. The organization stated that other human rights groups and legal experts would closely monitor the situation as events unfold.
