Overview

• The U.S. has been added to CIVICUS's 2025 Monitor Watchlist, joining countries like Pakistan, Serbia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, due to a decline in civic freedoms.
• CIVICUS criticized the Trump administration for actions such as mass federal employee firings, restricting media access, and suppressing pro-Palestinian protests.
• The organization highlighted the administration’s withdrawal from international bodies like the WHO and UN Human Rights Council, as well as cuts to foreign aid and DEI programs.
• The U.S. currently holds a 'narrowed' civic space rating, indicating occasional violations of freedoms, but CIVICUS warns it is trending toward the more restrictive 'obstructed' category.
• CIVICUS has called on the U.S. government to uphold democratic norms, protect constitutional freedoms, and end policies undermining checks and balances essential to democracy.