The US has formally landed on the CIVICUS Monitor Watchlist, grouped with international locations like Kenya, El Salvador, and Turkey—nations recognized for suppressing civil freedoms. The transfer comes after six months of escalating assaults on democratic rights below President Trump’s second time period.
Peaceable protests have been met with navy deployment. Over 350 demonstrators have been arrested throughout cities like LA, Austin, and New York after folks took to the streets to oppose aggressive ICE raids. On June 7, President Trump deployed 700 Marines and a couple of,000 Nationwide Guard troops to Los Angeles to clamp down on dissent.
It’s not simply protesters. Journalists are below fireplace too. On June 9, Australian reporter Lauren Tomasi was shot with a rubber bullet whereas protecting an anti-ICE protest. Salvadoran journalist Mario Guevara, a U.S. resident, was arrested and later handed over to ICE after livestreaming a “No Kings” demonstration. He stays in custody.
The crackdown has even reached Capitol Hill. In July, Republican lawmakers authorised an enormous funding reduce—over $1.1 billion—from the Company for Public Broadcasting, threatening PBS, NPR, and different unbiased retailers. Trump has additionally sued main retailers together with ABC and the Wall Road Journal to silence important reporting.
Civil society hasn’t been spared. States like Nebraska and Florida handed legal guidelines to limit nonprofits receiving international funds or partaking in advocacy. Nebraska’s “International Agent and Terrorist Agent Registration Act” takes impact in October, hitting teams linked to international locations labeled as adversaries. In the meantime, Trump’s new “One Large Stunning Invoice Act” slashes nonprofit funding by over $80 billion, gutting sources for communities most in want.
Supporters of Palestinian rights are dealing with growing repression as nicely. International-born college students and even UN officers have been focused for voicing criticism of Israel’s actions. The Trump administration’s sanctioning of Francesca Albanese, a UN Particular Rapporteur, despatched shockwaves via the worldwide neighborhood.
Specialists warn these strikes sign deeper democratic erosion. CIVICUS Secretary Basic Mandeep Tiwana mentioned the U.S. is “sliding deeper into authoritarianism,” the place peaceable dissent is criminalized and the First Modification feels extra like a suggestion than a proper.
From the streets to the pressrooms to the nonprofit area, freedom within the U.S. is being squeezed. And now, the world is watching.
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