Amnesty International denounces the deterioration of the rule of law in the U.S. in Trump's first year

Washington .- Amnesty International (AI) considers that the first year of the second term of the President of the United States, Donald Trump, has caused a deterioration of the rule of law in the country, as stated in the annual report on "The state of human rights in the world".

"Immediately after taking office, President Trump adopted an unprecedented number of measures that undermined the rule of law," the text states. Among them, «an offensive against the judiciary and the media, retaliatory attacks against political enemies and granting pardons to supporters of the president, undermining academic freedom, elimination and obstruction of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, and dismantling the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Without a doubt, one of the main deteriorations highlighted in the report is that related to the migration policies implemented by the Trump administration, and it did so, AI denounces, through "a racist and anti-immigrant agenda through executive orders that dehumanized and criminalized migrants and asylum seekers." "Almost every federal law enforcement agency was called upon to perform civil immigration control functions," and they condemn the habitual presence of "masked agents, street patrols, and immigration control operations that were extended to places where they were not previously permitted."

New Detention Centers

In this regard, it is worth recalling the raids that took place in Minnesota and that ended with numerous protests in the streets and the death of two U.S. citizens by shots from federal agents. The international organization also denounces the construction of new detention centers such as "Alligator Alcatraz" or the suspension of the United States Refugee Admissions Program.

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Special chapter deserves for AI the "repression of widespread university protests" against Israel's attacks in Gaza and Trump's offensive against universities contrary to his policies by cutting research funds and federal funding. They also denounce that "the government targeted international students and teachers." Regarding the rights of the LGBTI community, the report notes that "the Trump administration reversed protection mechanisms for LGBTI people and used federal agencies to attack their rights, especially those of transgender people." The report analyzing what happened in the United States in 2025 pays special attention to the revocation of an executive order over 60 years old whose purpose was to address discrimination in the workplace. Reproductive and sexual rights have also been curtailed, according to AI, as the cuts in funding for reproductive health care centers and programs have led to the closure of clinics and have affected "disproportionately low-income people."

More than 1,000 people died from police shootings

According to AI sources, 1,143 people died from police shootings in 2025 in the United States, and Black people disproportionately suffered from the use of lethal force, as they constituted more than 23% of firearm fatalities by police, although they represent 13% of the population. On the other hand, the report states that "Trump signed an executive order ending the federal moratorium on executions" issued by his predecessor, Joe Biden. According to the report analyzing 2025, arbitrary and indefinite detention by the United States continued in Guantanamo, Trump suspended the program addressing the problem of firearms in the country, and environmental and climate regulations were reversed.