Human Rights First Democracy Watch Report Identifies Over 1,600 Threats to Civil Rights Nationwide

Washington D.C. — Today, Human Rights First released our annual Democracy Watch Report. The report’s findings are drawn from our legislative tracker, which gathered 1600+ pieces of rights restricting legislation at the state and federal levels, exposing key authoritarian strategies within our legislative processes. 

“We are witnessing a broad-scale and calculated assault on civil rights, one that has significantly escalated since the beginning of the second Trump administration.” said Hanah Stiverson, Director of Democracy in Action at Human Rights First. “Across the country, states have replicated this administration’s efforts to quell student protest movements and stymie free speech by introducing and passing state legislation that replicates federal efforts. Attacks on immigrant communities, LGBTQ+ youth, and other vulnerable groups have likewise increased. This erosion of democratic norms is reshaping our nation in alarming ways that will reverberate for years to come.”

Read the full report and explore the legislative tracker to understand how these trends are unfolding nationwide and what actions policymakers and advocates must take to protect fundamental rights.