HRW says US civil rights enforcement reduced under Trump: What to know

According to a new report, the United States federal government has taken a massive step back from its role in protecting civil rights across the country.On Thursday, the nonprofit Human Rights Watch issued a 112-page analysis of the government’s civil rights activities from January 2025 through the start of 2026, a period that captures the opening months of President Donald Trump’s second term.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Trump appointee probes Nike over claims of bias against white workerslist 2 of 3ABC ‘fighting back’, urging US public to defend stations amid FCC scrutinylist 3 of 3Why the US may stop collecting workplace race and gender dataend of listThe report concludes that the federal agencies responsible for stopping discrimination have largely been gutted of their staff.Additionally, top-down directives by Trump have de-emphasised the federal government’s role in protecting civil rights across the country, according to the group.“While claiming to protect all Americans, the administration is rolling back systems that communities have long turned to for relief,” Trey Walk, a researcher at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement.Which agencies did the repor...