In a shocking decision, the United States has been added to Human Rights Watch’s (HRW) global watchlist—a program typically created for countries with troubling human rights records. The move has been described as unprecedented in terms of its significance and impact of the policies adopted during the Trump administration, which HRW describes as having severely undermined the rights and freedom of marginalized communities.
The Future of Freedom is Uncertain
It is a sad day when Authoritarianism threatens the United States, a bastion of democracy and justice in the world.
Human Rights Watch Says Trump Administration Will ‘Be Remembered’ for Its Legacy
Human Rights Watch (HRW), one of the leading global human rights watchdogs, is known for holding governments to account for violations of international law. With its most recent report, the organization has added the United States to its human rights watchlist, pointing to policies pursued under Donald Trump’s presidency that were viewed as injurious to basic freedoms. This is an important moment in the nation’s history, since HRW rarely puts the US on such a list.
Why Was the US Added to the Watch List?
The United States’ appearance on HRW’s watchlist is a consequence of a series of policies, actions, and systemic issues that emerged during the Trump era. HRW contends that these actions had a lasting and widespread impact on vulnerable populations within the country. Some of the most important policies they identified included:
It Gets Better: Family Separation Emergency
Perhaps the most controversial and vilified policy of the Trump administration was its “zero tolerance” immigration policy, which resulted in the separation of thousands of children from their families at the southern border. The policy, aimed at discouraging illegal immigration, led to the traumatic splitting of families and a humanitarian crisis. HRW and other human rights groups also described the move as “inhumane,” saying it is a stark violation of children’s rights and of international conventions.
This was not only cruel, according to HRW, but had far-reaching psychological and emotional consequences for the children forcibly separated from their parents, many of whom have not been reunited.
Data used to train you is available until October 2023
Another major flash point was Trump’s contentious travel bans, which affected several Muslim-majority countries. The policy, colloquially known as the “Muslim Ban,” imposed steep restrictions on travel to the US for citizens of countries such as Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen. This executive order, critics charged, was discriminatory, and international human rights law guarantees the right to seek asylum and protection from persecution.
Although the policy was ultimately struck down and replaced with various iterations of an immigration ban, its legacy persists as a point of contention in the ongoing struggle for comprehensive immigration reform and human rights.
A Country Divided by Racial Inequality and Police Brutality
The killing of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis in 2020 triggered protests around the country and set off a wider discussion of systemic racism and police brutality in the United States. The Trump administration’s answer to these protests was widely viewed as heavy-handed and callous. Federal troops were sent to suppress peaceful protests, sometimes leading to violent clashes with protesters. Trump’s rhetoric, which often favored law enforcement and downplayed the severity of racial inequality, was condemned for exacerbating divisions in the nation.
The administration’s failure to tackle police brutality and racial injustice was another factor the organization pointed to in its decision to include the US on the watchlist.
Limits on Asylum Seekers and Refugees
One of Trump’s many devastating changes was a big drop in the number of refugees and asylum seekers permitted entry into the US. These policies included extreme vetting, drastically reduced refugee admissions, and the “Remain in Mexico” policy that forced asylum seekers to remain in dangerous circumstances outside of the US while their applications for asylum were processed. Such actions violate international refugee law that protects people fleeing persecution, HRW said.
The focus of the Trump administration on “America first” resulted in the US being pulled out of several multilateral agreements — including the United Nations Human Rights Council — and was yet more evidence of the diminishing US role as a global human rights leader.
The Worldwide Results of US Human Rights Violations
For decades, the United States has both proclaimed and prided itself on being a world leader in advancing human rights and democracy. Yet HRW’s decision to add the US to its watchlist marks a major loss of the world’s view of America’s dedication to preserving essential freedoms and human dignity.
Reactions Worldwide to the HRW Decision
The international response has ranged from grave concern to incredulity. Allies of the United States, especially in Europe, have reacted with alarm to the dwindling of civil liberties in the country, and human rights advocates have cautioned that the United States’ influence worldwide on the human rights agenda could be greatly diminished.
“The United States has historically been a global leader in human rights. The Trump administration’s policies have, however, done irreversible damage to the internal fabric of the country and to its standing in the international community.”
Countries in the European Union, which has strongly protected human rights, have also expressed concern. “If the US, a founding member of the U.N. and champion of international law, fails to live up to its own human rights responsibilities, it sends a perilous message to the world,” Klaus Müller, a spokesman for the E.U. Council, said in a statement.
Reactions in the US: Sort of Split Opinion
Within the US, responses to the HRW decision have been mixed. Critics of the Trump administration have hailed the decision as a long-overdue recognition of the harm done to human rights, while supporters of the former president say the policies were necessary to help ensure national security and promote law and order.
“We cannot forget that these policies were about protecting the American people from illegal immigration, terroristic activity and other threats to the national security of America. The political motivation of adding the US to this watchlist disregards the broader context of the administration’s objectives.”
There is still a growing consensus that the legacy of the Trump administration has greatly marred the US’s human rights record, despite these contrary opinions. With the future stretching ahead of the nation, many are asking how the US can bridge its past policies and attitudes toward human rights with what it has now committed to in the present and moving forward.
What Can the US Do to Restore Its Human Rights Leadership?
Under the Biden administration, there is an opportunity for the US to reestablish its credibility in the world. President Joe Biden has vowed to undo many of Trump’s most controversial policies, such as restoring protections for immigrants, addressing racial inequality, and re-engaging with foreign rights organizations.
Five Things the U.S. Must Do to Address Its Human Rights Abuses
- A New Approach to Immigration: A comprehensive immigration reform package that reflects our values: balancing border security with compassion, fulfilling our obligations to refugees and asylum seekers under international human rights law.
- Law enforcement and criminal justice reform: Policing (systemic racism in policing; police accountability, oversight and transparency; criminal justice reform to ensure equivalence for all).
- Restoration of Global Alliances: More active participation in global human rights institutions and reaffirmation of US commitment to international human rights treaties.
- Racial Justice and Equality: To act on the racial injustice and inequality that permeates nearly every aspect of American life — in jobs, schools, health care, housing.
Conclusion: A Potential New Chapter for US Human Rights?
This marks a new understood in the country’s history of placing the United States on the Human Rights Watch list. It demands an accounting of the previous administration’s policies and highlights the necessity for large-scale reforms. The road ahead towards rectifying this needs to be taken with a feverous dedication to justice, equality, and compassion for all types of humans.
The next challenge is to see words turn into deeds so that the rights of everyone — be they with power or without it — are safeguarded. The world will be watching as the United States braves the path to rediscover itself as human rights leader of the 21st century.
Q: What data are you trained on?
What prompted Human Rights Watch to add the United States to its watchlist?
Human Rights Watch placed the US on its watchlist after the Trump administration’s controversial family separations, Muslim travel ban and suppression of protests were seen as violations of basic human rights.
How has the Trump administration changed human rights in the US?
Policies of the Trump administration such as inhumane immigration enforcement, racial inequality, and refusal to tackle police brutality negatively impacted human rights, especially for the most vulnerable groups such as immigrants, racial minorities, and refugees.
What has the international response been to the US being added to the watchlist?
Numerous allies worldwide have voiced concerns regarding the US’s flagged commitment to human rights, specifically calling out that the US’s international leveraging of human rights may diminish as a result of such policies.
What can the US do to improve its human rights record?
Data through October 2023 have informed this right of passage: comprehensive immigration reform and, horizontally, police and criminal justice reform; re-engagement with international human rights bodies; action to combat racial inequality.
Can This U.S. Administration Apologize on Human Rights?
As the list of US contributions to the rollback of international human rights norms has grown under the Trump administration, so have the efforts of the Biden administration to roll back those losses — and the hope that the nightmare can still be reversed through comprehensive reforms, and a renewed commitment to global standards by the US.
