On April 30, 2025, Human Rights Watch published a report titled “100 Human Rights Harms in 100 Days” to mark the first 100 days of Donald Trump’s second presidency. The report scrutinizes executive policies and orders that have undermined human rights in areas such as healthcare, environmental protection, immigration, free speech, and international relations. While many of these actions face legal challenges, their detrimental impact on ordinary people in the U.S. and globally is undeniable. Key violations highlighted include:
- Food Assistance Cuts: Over $1 billion slashed from school lunches and food banks in states like Ohio and California, deepening food insecurity.
- Unjust Deportations: Expanded “expedited removal” without legal counsel, including deporting 137 Venezuelans to a notorious Salvadoran prison.
- Environmental Rollbacks: Withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and a 65% EPA budget cut, endangering public health.
- Free Speech Suppression: Social media monitoring and deportation of international students for supporting Palestine, stifling political expression.
- Global Aid Reductions: Termination of HIV/AIDS programs (PEPFAR), food aid in Sudan and Haiti, and funding to UNRWA, leaving millions of Palestinian refugees in Gaza and the West Bank without humanitarian aid.
- Restricted Healthcare Access: Shortened enrollment periods for Affordable Care Act insurance and reduced funding, denying millions access to medical coverage.
- Labor Rights Erosion: Cancellation of U.S. Department of Labor’s international programs combating child labor and human trafficking in 40 countries.
- Denied Justice for Migrant Children: Elimination of funding for a program providing legal services to unaccompanied migrant children, leaving them vulnerable to unfair detention and deportation without counsel.
This report captures only a portion of the extensive harms. For the full list of 100 violations, Click Here