Civicus, an international non-profit, puts country alongside Democratic Republic of Congo, Italy, Pakistan and Serbia
The United States has been added to the Civicus Monitor Watchlist, which identifies countries that the global civil rights watchdog believes are currently experiencing a rapid decline in civic freedoms.
Civicus, an international non-profit organization dedicated to “strengthening citizen action and civil society around the world”, announced the inclusion of the US on the non-profit’s first watchlist of 2025 on Monday, alongside the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Italy, Pakistan and Serbia.
The group cited several of the administration’s actions such as the , the appointment of , the withdrawal from international efforts and the , the and foreign aid and the attempted .
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US added to human rights watchlist over Trump moves
The United States has been added to CIVICUS’s monitor list of potential human rights threats, a move the global nonprofit says is directly linked to President Trump’s actions since his return to the White House in January.
“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,” CIVICUS interim co-Secretary General Mandeep Tiwana said in a statement. “The Trump administration seems hellbent on dismantling the system of checks and balances which are the pillars of a democratic society.”
The U.S. joins Congo, Italy, Pakistan and Serbia in CIVICUS’s first watch updates for 2025.
“Gross abuses of executive power raise serious concerns over the freedoms of peaceful assembly, expression and association,” the group wrote of the U.S. rating.
CIVICUS specifically pointed to Trump’s push for mass firings of federal workers, the dismantling of foreign aid programs, his treatment of the media and efforts across the country to tamp down pro-Palestinian protests.
“Americans across the political spectrum are appalled by the undemocratic actions of the current administration,” Tiwana said.
According to CIVICUS, the monitor list “draws attention to countries where there is a serious decline in respect for civic space, based on an assessment by CIVICUS Monitor research findings, our research partners and consultations with activists on the ground.”
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“CIVICUS calls upon these governments to do everything in their power to end the ongoing crackdowns immediately and ensure that perpetrators are held to account,” the organization said in its news release on the update.
The U.S. is among 42 countries that CIVICUS rates as “narrowed” on freedom, which is the group’s second tier after “open” and used to signify countries where citizens face occasional violations of basic rights.
“Closed,” “repressed,” and “obstructed” are the most restrictive tiers. Thirty countries, including Russia, North Korea and Iran, are categorized as “closed.”
Other countries rated “narrow” include France, Germany and Argentina.
Countries deemed “open” include Taiwan, Canada, Japan and Denmark.
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US added to human rights watchlist for ‘narrowing’ freedom and now ranks near Serbia and Congo
Nonprofit organization says the U.S. is now considered a country with ‘faltering’ civic freedoms
The U.S. was added to a watchlist of countries with “faltering civic freedoms” after a global watchdog group raised alarm bells over recent actions taken by President Donald Trump and his administration.
CIVICUS, a nonprofit organization that serves as an advocate for democracy, added the U.S. to the list on Monday. It’s the first watchlist of the year.
Claiming the U.S. was “once a global champion for democracy and human rights,” CIVICUS said Trump’s attempts to remake the federal government in his vision and remove the U.S. from global participation have raised concerns that it is infringing on democratic freedoms.
The U.S. joins the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Pakistan, Chile, Slovakia and 37 other countries on the list of countries with “narrowed” civic freedoms.
“This is an unparalleled attack on the rule of law in the United States, not seen since the days of McCarthyism in the twentieth century,” Mandeep Tiwana, the interim co-secretary-general of CIVICUS, said in a release.
“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,” Tiwana added.
CIVICUS’s “narrowed” category means people in the country can exercise civil freedoms but there are occasional violations of those rights. It is the second-highest rating tier after “open.”
The organization pointed to Trump’s mass firing of federal workers and replacing civil servants with loyalists as actions that could “severely impact constitutional freedoms.”
Trump has carefully selected people who have proven deep loyalty to him to serve in powerful positions – regardless of experience or expertise.
Billionaire Elon Musk, a “special government employee” with no official title, has assisted Trump in drastically reducing the federal workforce as they seek to cut spending by flagging departments, agencies or policies they believe are wasteful, abusive or fraudulent.
As a result, it has essentially stripped the U.S. Agency for International Development of its authority to provide humanitarian aid and assistance, as well as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau of its ability to enforce regulations that protect consumers from fraud or unfair practices.
Through executive orders, Trump has sought to consolidate power in the executive branch, making it easier for him and his allies to monitor and control departments and agencies to ensure they are only carrying out Trump’s agenda.
That includes ceasing all diversity, equity and inclusion policies, cracking down on pro-Palestinian student protests and providing assistance to undocumented immigrants.
“The Trump administration seems hellbent on dismantling the system of checks and balances, which are the pillars of a democratic society,” Tiwana said in the press release.
Monday’s list is not the first time the U.S. has been downgraded on CIVICUS’s watchlist. The country’s status was downgraded to “obstructed” in 2020 after CIVICUS found the Trump administration repressed mass protests.
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Nonprofit organization says the U.S. is now considered a country with ‘faltering’ civic freedoms
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