On his inauguration day, January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump unleashed a series of executive orders that cast a shadow over international human rights, as reported by Human Rights Watch. Tirana Hassan, executive director, voiced grave concerns over the sweeping nature of these actions, stating they threaten the rights of marginalized groups, especially people of colour within and outside the United States.
New immigration orders effectively bar refugees who were en route to the US, eroding the right to seek asylum and increasing detention periods. Fast-tracked deportations are now occurring without due process, as efforts to undermine birthright citizenship arise amidst ongoing legal challenges, reflecting a troubling trend of targeting children under the guise of deterrence.
Further compounding these issues, orders invoking war rhetoric threaten to mobilise the military for civilian immigration enforcement, while travel bans and measures that stifle civil society emerge. Discriminatory policies also resurface; a renewed ban precludes transgender individuals from military service, and a new decree recognises only fixed male and female identities, disregarding the spectrum of gender.
The halting of US foreign development assistance endangers countless human rights defenders globally, who rely on such support to aid those in need. This pause in assistance has dire implications for vital humanitarian efforts, jeopardising life-saving resources for millions.
Trump’s measures include intensified vetting for visa applicants from specified high-risk regions, risking racial profiling, and lifting sanctions on violent settlers in the occupied West Bank, further facilitating impunity against Palestinians. Also troubling is the withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accords, which could exacerbate climate crises affecting vulnerable communities worldwide.
Despite several cabinet nominees pledging allegiance to human rights during Senate testimonies, Human Rights Watch calls for a reassessment of these damaging policies, questioning their long-term effects on global human rights standards and the US’s position on the world stage. Hassan concluded by asserting that they would not remain passive in the face of rights violations, vowing to hold the Trump administration accountable and support those champions of justice and equality.
On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump issued executive orders that threaten both domestic and international human rights. Key impacts include blocking refugee entry, undermining asylum rights, targeting transgender individuals, pausing foreign aid for human rights defenders, and increasing racial profiling. Human Rights Watch has urged the administration to reassess these orders and their implications for equality and dignity worldwide.
In summary, President Trump’s executive orders signal a disturbing potential erosion of human rights within the United States and beyond, with a focus on undermining asylum rights and targeting marginalized groups. These orders not only threaten the integrity of personal freedoms but also endanger international support and development efforts essential for humanitarian work. The calls from Human Rights Watch to reconsider these policies underscore the urgent need for accountability and defence of human rights.
Original Source: www.hrw.org
