It has been less than a year since Trump’s second term as the US president, yet his record of human rights abuses is too many to count. This has serious consequences on the general population in the US, specifically ethnic and religious minority groups. Besides, his foreign policy continues to breach and enable violations of international law. And yet, he is obsessed with winning the Nobel Peace Prize.
While the first amendment protects people’s right to peacefully assemble and protect the freedom of speech, this has not been well practiced by Trump. Mahmoud Khalil was arrested in March due to his involvement in Columbia University’s student-led encampments to protest against Israel’s genocidal acts in Gaza, supported by the United States. His actions were described as un-American and his deportation was being planned- despite his legal residency in America. The protests in Los Angeles were met with high-level police brutality and repression. His punishment for dissent has only caused fear and silenced those protecting human rights and human dignity. The reasons for the protests were due to Trump’s actions again. He ordered police raids across the city, which targeted Latinx individuals and community areas. The police were given the right to stop and question anyone based on their race, language; this was mentioned to be unlawful as a breach of personal freedom and unnecessary by the local members and the governor.
His harsh migration policy has led to the dismissal of many asylum cases and continues to detain many migrants. In addition, from September 2026, 100 US-dollar fee is introduced to submit an asylum application and needs to be paid every year to continue with the asylum case. Seeking asylum is a human right, and people’s ability to seek it should not be challenged by their economic background or inability to pay fees.
Trump’s orders based on racial profiling extended to his foreign policy. His immediate executive order imposed a travel ban on 12 countries, which are predominantly Black, Brown and Muslim-majority countries. This racial discrimination fuels hate and disinformation, as people from certain backgrounds cannot be classified as a security threat.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) policies that ensure equal opportunities that come from disadvantaged backgrounds in schools, universities and federal governments were terminated or threatened to be defunded. This also included programmes, positions or services linked to environmental justice. While the White House says to aim ‘racial and wasteful programmes’, it does not consider the negative impact on those that benefit from these programmes to reach higher education and employment. Considering environmental justice as wasteful and undermining its impact in providing just futures has no scientific basis and needs to be challenged.
Cuts to foreign aid in Guatemala, Haiti, South Africa, Yemen, South Sudan and UNRWA for Palestine indicate America’s lack of commitment to human rights, global health and peace. These actions cannot be interpreted as a lack of good acts, but as turning a blind eye to those who rely on America’s power and complicity in its intentions. America continues to deliver arms to Israel and endorse war criminal Netanyahu’s genocidal crimes and ethnic cleansing in Palestine.
Unfortunately, the list does not end here. Human Rights Watch has compiled 100 Human Rights Harms in 100 Days of Trump’s administration, and things have not gotten better for the people of America in the rest 140 days that have gone past. As of mid-September, Trump is visiting the United Kingdom, which is protested by hundreds of citizens outside the Windsor Castle and Parliament Square. This is joined by the leader of Liberal Democrats, Ed Davey, who refused to join the king’s banquet in which Trump is attending. His effort to boycott Trump is supported by the majority of his constituents, and clearly indicates his intentions in politics that he does not wish to be complicit in Trump’s relentless list of human rights abuses.
We, as Rights Defenders, condemn this extensive list that Trump and his administration have created. As Amnesty mentions, these orders have set back human rights in America by years, and they need to be reversed immediately. We urge every single organisation, politician, and media agency to take a stand and boycott Trump and his unlawful actions.
References
https://asaptogether.org/en/law-changes-jan-2025
https://civilrights.org/resource/anti-deia-eos/
https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/americas/north-america/united-states-of-america
https://www.cartooningforpeace.org/en/editos/united-states-trumps-offensive-against-press-freedom/
