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Trump's cruel authoritarian policies are eroding human rights

24 0
21.01.2026

One year into President Donald Trump’s return to office, his authoritarian practices are eroding human rights and weakening the systems meant to protect them.

Just in the past few weeks, a woman in Minneapolis was killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, the U.S. government attacked Venezuela and captured its head of state, and Trump withdrew the United States from more than 60 international cooperation efforts. It’s a dangerous and volatile moment in U.S. history, one that is a culmination of a huge slide toward authoritarian practices many of us could never have imagined.

Amnesty International has long documented authoritarian practices in many countries and contexts. We recognize the warning signs and so are ringing the alarm bells. And we also know there is still time to stop it.

Over the past year, the Trump administration has leveraged multiple tools, including government censorship and targeting protesters, to try to crush dissent. Peaceful protesters, particularly students and activists advocating for Palestinian rights, have been singled out for punishment, with the clear aim of spreading fear among all who might dare to raise their voices.

Universities have come under pressure to suppress student voices, with academic freedom and freedom of expression thrown to the wayside. Mahmoud Khalil, a student protester at Columbia University, was detained for months before a judge ordered his release, simply for speaking his mind.

Despite his........

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