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In a statement published on Wednesday on its website, the global human rights organisation cited some of the concerns which stem from Trump’s history of rights abuses
Human Rights Watch has warned that Donald Trump’s presidency poses a significant threat to human rights, both domestically and internationally, citing his troubling track record during his first term.
In a statement published on Wednesday on its website, the global human rights organisation cited some of the concerns which stem from Trump’s history of rights abuses, such as: expelling asylum seekers, racist tropes, autocratic tendencies and anti-democratic policies.
Additionally, the group cited Trump’s 2024 campaign promises which they said have raised concerns about his intentions, including rounding up and deporting millions of immigrants and retaliating against political opponents.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) also warns that a second Trump term would threaten LGBTQ rights, particularly for transgender people, and undermine democracy.
Human Rights Watch executive director Tirana Hassan emphasises in the report the importance of holding Trump and his administration accountable for any abuses, stating, “Donald Trump has made no secret of his intent to violate the human rights of millions of people in the United States.”
“Independent institutions and civil society groups, including Human Rights Watch, will need to do all we can to hold him and his administration accountable for abuses,” Hassan said.
According to the report, Human Rights Watch during his first term as president, from 2017 to 2021, documented record of his rights abuses.
It said, “These included policies and efforts to expel asylum seekers and separate families at the US-Mexico border, advance racist tropes against Black communities and other people of color, adopt policies that punish low-income families and deprive them of health care, and to fuel a violent insurrection to overthrow the results of a democratic election.
“Trump’s pledges during his 2024 campaign raise greater cause for concern in a second term, both domestically and internationally. In 2023, he said he would not be a dictator “except for day one” in office. Trump has repeatedly praised autocrats such as Viktor Orban, Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un.”
The report claimed that Trump has proposed policies that would weaken democratic institutions that protect fundamental human rights and would lessen checks on presidential authority.
“The threat of abusing the executive office is of even greater concern because of a recent US Supreme Court decision that grants presidents broad immunity from criminal prosecution for official actions taken in office.
“Project 2025, a governing plan written by Trump’s former advisers and political allies, details many other abusive, often racially discriminatory policies that the new administration may adopt. Although Trump has denied connections to Project 2025, many of his statements echo its premises.
“While the presidential campaign cycle featured rhetoric from both candidates that was hostile toward immigrants, Trump made scapegoating immigrants a central pillar of his campaign. He has called for extreme policies that include mass detention of migrants and mass deportations of millions of people, which would tear apart families with deep roots in the US.
“Such a programme would invariably entail racial profiling, lead to heightened abuses by law enforcement during mass roundups, and instigate more xenophobic actions among the wider public. During the campaign, Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, spread racist lies about Haitian migrants in particular and fomented disinformation that immigration leads to increased crime in the United States,” the report added.
The global human rights body, however, noted that abortion rights will be under increased threat during Trump’s second term.
“His insistence that states should have the power to block access to basic health care allows policies that violate rights, endanger health, lead to preventable deaths, and criminalize private health care decisions.
“Trump has vowed to retaliate against his political enemies. Throughout speeches and campaign interviews, he has used increasingly dangerous rhetoric, referring to his critics as ‘the enemy from within,’” it said.
Trump threatened to order the US Department of Justice to pursue prosecutions against President Joe Biden and others he claims oppose his agenda, including election officials and voters.
“Trump has also suggested he would invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy the US military and national guard against people in the US who might exercise their right to protest,” it said.
