"Trump Administration Seriously Threatens Civil Liberties of US Citizens"

Announcement by the 'CIVICUS World Alliance for Citizen Participation'
United States Rated as 'Narrowed' Alongside South Korea

The United States has been placed on the monitoring list by the 'CIVICUS World Alliance for Citizen Participation' (CIVICUS). CIVICUS is a non-governmental organization that monitors global human rights and freedom violations.

On the 11th, Yonhap News reported this citing a press release from CIVICUS, headquartered in South Africa. According to the release, the United States was added to the Monitor Watchlist due to the Trump administration seriously threatening the freedoms of American citizens.

Donald Trump, President of the United States, is showing a clenched fist to the press before boarding his private plane at the White House in Washington DC on the 7th (local time). Photo by AP Yonhap News

The organization mentioned the "Trump administration's attacks on democratic norms and global cooperation." It stated, "Unprecedented executive orders shaking democratic institutions, the rule of law, and global cooperation raise alarm," and pointed out that "the new administration in 2025 cut federal funding to agencies supporting the most vulnerable and dismantled the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), reversing progress on justice, inclusiveness, and diversity."

Earlier, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that 83% of USAID programs, a foreign aid agency effectively undergoing dismantlement under the second Trump administration, would be canceled.

He emphasized, "The 5,200 contracts currently canceled consumed billions of dollars in ways that do not serve U.S. core national interests (and in some cases cause harm)," and added, "In consultation with Congress, the remaining 18% of programs (about 1,000) that we maintain will be managed more effectively by the State Department."

Countries under surveillance selected by the World Alliance of Citizen Organizations (CIVICUS). Screenshot from the CIVICUS website.

Countries listed alongside the United States include Italy, Pakistan, Serbia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Regarding the list, the organization stated, "Based on CIVICUS monitoring research results, research partners, and consultations with field activists, we focus on countries where respect for civic space has significantly declined."

It urged, "All these governments must immediately halt ongoing repression and take all measures to hold perpetrators accountable."

The United States was also included among 42 countries that CIVICUS rated as having 'narrowed' civic freedoms. The organization classifies countries into five categories based on civic freedoms: 'closed,' 'repressed,' 'obstructed,' 'narrowed,' and 'open.'

The 'narrowed' category, which includes the United States, is the second tier after 'open.' It refers to countries where citizens' fundamental rights are occasionally violated. South Korea, France, Germany, and Argentina are also in the narrowed category. Forty countries, including Switzerland, Canada, Taiwan, and Japan, are rated 'open,' while 30 countries such as North Korea, Egypt, Russia, and Iran are rated 'closed.'

Meanwhile, reports have emerged that the suspension of U.S. foreign aid under the Donald Trump administration has increased the global risk of spreading deadly infectious diseases such as Ebola and Mpox. The U.S. State Department decided to reduce the number of USAID staff from about 10,000 to 290 and canceled more than 90% of overseas aid contracts, terminating 5,800 of the 6,200 multi-year contracts USAID had with external organizations.