US civic space ‘obstructed’ after crackdown on freedoms, watchdog says

ISTANBUL

The US has been downgraded from “narrowed” to “obstructed” in a global civic freedoms index after what monitors described as a year of restrictive actions under President Donald Trump, according to a report released on Tuesday.

The Guardian reported that in a report released the same day, Civicus, a nonprofit tracking civic space in 198 countries, said the US saw a “sharp deterioration of fundamental freedoms in the country … following a year of sweeping executive actions, restrictive laws and aggressive crackdowns on free speech and dissent.”

The downgrade came months after Civicus upgraded the country by one tier in July.

Civicus defined an "obstructed" rating as one in which civic space is strongly contested, and authorities undermine civil society through surveillance, harassment, and hostile rhetoric.

“Citizens can organise and assemble peacefully but they are vulnerable to frequent use of excessive force by law enforcement agencies, including rubber bullets, tear gas and baton charges,” the report noted, citing militarized responses to protests, including National Guard deployments in Los Angeles and other cities.

To 'dominate media, silence independent journalism'

The watchdog also warned of pressure on media and universities, pointing to investigations into Palestinian solidarity activism and actions targeting journalists and broadcasters.

“These actions, combined with efforts to sideline critical outlets from core government functions and foreign travel, reflect a systematic attempt to dominate the media landscape and silence independent journalism,” Civicus said.

Commenting on the findings, Civicus Secretary General Mandeep Tiwana said: “The backsliding on rule of law and fundamental freedoms in the US is truly alarming. We are witnessing a rapid and systematic attempt to stifle civic freedoms that Americans have come to take for granted, such as critiquing authorities and protesting peacefully.”

With the new classification, the US joins 39 countries rated “obstructed” in 2025, including Hungary, Brazil, and South Africa, according to Civicus.