US Added To Global Watchlist By Civicus, Cites 'Significant Deterioration' In Civic Freedoms Under Trump

The United States has been placed on the Civicus Monitor Watchlist, citing a decline in civic freedoms under the Trump administration.

Civicus, a global civil rights watchdog that monitors civic liberties across 198 countries, released its first watchlist of 2025 on Monday, highlighting a "significant deterioration" in civil rights within the US.

According to Civicus, the US was added due to what it describes as systemic challenges to democratic principles and international cooperation under President Trump, as reported by The Guardian.

The organisation pointed to specific actions, including mass dismissals of federal employees, strategic appointments of Trump loyalists, withdrawal from international organisations, suspension of aid, and efforts to dismantle USAID.

It also expressed particular concern over restrictions on pro-Palestinian protests and unprecedented controls over media access to presidential briefings.

Alongside the US, the latest watchlist includes the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Italy, Pakistan, and Serbia. Previous lists have featured countries such as Zimbabwe, Argentina, El Salvador, and the United Arab Emirates.

Mandeep Tiwana, co-secretary general of Civicus, explained that the watchlist identifies nations where civic space is deteriorating, particularly regarding freedoms of peaceful assembly, association, and expression.

"Restrictive executive orders, unjustifiable institutional reductions, and intimidation tactics through threatening statements by senior administration officials are fostering an environment that stifles democratic dissent, a core American value," Tiwana said in a statement defending the decision.

Civicus described Trump's conduct since taking office as an "unprecedented attack on the rule of law," comparing it to "the McCarthy era of the twentieth century."

The organisation further argued that these presidential actions undermine the essential democratic principle of checks and balances.

Beyond its recent inclusion on the watchlist, the US is currently classified as having a "narrowed" civic space on the Civicus Monitor's five-tier system (open, narrowed, obstructed, repressed, and closed).

During Trump's previous tenure, the country's rating dropped to "obstructed" following the response to Black Lives Matter protests and restrictive environmental protest laws.

Although the rating improved under Biden, returning to "narrowed," Civicus now warns that the US may once again slip back into "obstructed" status.

Tiwana added that while the US has traditionally championed democracy and fundamental freedoms in its foreign policy, recent government actions risk emboldening authoritarian regimes worldwide.