Amnesty International warns of rising authoritarianism in US
Amnesty International published a report on Jan. 20, warning of rising authoritarianism in the US and detailing numerous ways in which the rule of law and basic rights are being threatened.
The report, entitled Ringing the Alarm Bells: Rising Authoritarian Practices and Erosion of Human Rights in the United States, ties these areas of concern largely to the policies of President Donald Trump. They range from threats to freedom of speech and protest, to the erosion of anti-discrimination protections. The report finds that a key test of democratic resilience will be the federal midterm elections of November 2026, with many early signals pointing to mounting threats to the right to vote.
Limitations on press freedom include the removal of the credentials for the Associated Press for White House events, after the agency refused to call the Gulf of Mexico the "Gulf of America," as well as the removal of press passes for reporters at the Pentagon who refused to comply with policies mandating the publishing of only approved materials. The courts have now restored the Associated Press' credentials, but Pentagon reporters have since turned in their press passes and not returned.
The report notes other areas of concern for free speech, including the detention of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist who federal agents arrested and attempted to deport. The Trump administration maintains that Khalil’s visa was granted as a result of fraud and misrepresentation. The case has generated a series of court decisions and is still ongoing.
The report also discusses the moment that President Trump federalized the California National Guard to deploy to Los Angeles to support police operations against protests over US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids, and later sent in 300 US Marines to curb the protests.
The report identifies militarization in domestic law enforcement as an area of concern, a primary example being the deployment of the National Guard to US cities, including in Los Angeles and Washington DC—both of which municipal governments objected to the National Guard presence. Trump withdrew the National Guard troops after meeting reversals in the courts, but has since threaetened to invoke the Insurrection Act, and redploy under emergency powers.
A final alarm bell the report raises is a decrease in anti-discrimination protections, noting the Trump administration's executive actions against transgender people. Amnesty International called Trump's actions an attempted "erasure" of transgender identity. The report also notes the administration's removal of the LGBTQ+ option in the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, and cuts to funding of institutions based on transgender policies.
Amnesty International USA executive director Paul O'Brien stated that these US actions "mirror the global pattern Amnesty has seen and warned about for decades."
From JURIST, Jan. 20. Used with permission. Internal links added.
Massachusetts governor files law to restrict National Guard
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey on Jan. 29 introduced legislation that would make it unlawful for another state to deploy its National Guard in Massachusetts without the governor's permission. Among the laws introduced, one would keep Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) out of local schools, houses of worship, hospitals and courthouses.
The proposed legislation received many statements of support. Mary M. Bourque, executive director of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, stated: "Our students, families, and educators continue to live in terror and trauma because of the cruel and often unlawful acts of federal ICE agents. We are grateful to the Healey-Driscoll Administration for standing up to the Trump Administration."
In a press conference, Gov. Healy condemned the use of force by federal immigration officials, and the Trump administration more broadly:
The legislation still must be approved by the Massachusetts legislature. The laws may face a challenge on possible constitutional issues, such as the Supremacy Clause and the preemption doctrine. States can limit their cooperation with federal officials, but cannot actively prevent them from enforcing federal law.
Moreover, Gov. Healy signed an executive order that would prohibit Massachusetts from "entering into any new 287(g) agreements unless there is a public safety need," prohibit "ICE from making civil arrests in non-public areas of state facilities," and prohibit "the use of state property for immigration enforcement staging." A 287(g) agreement delegates federal immigration enforcement authority to state or local officers. (Jurist)