The Trump administration has released the annual State Department human rights report. The document has been scaled back to just one-tenth the length of its 2023 predecessor. The report eliminates entire sections on abuses against women and LGBTQ people while softening criticism of nations aligned with the Trump administration.
According to an NPR analysis, individual country assessments now average under 3,000 words compared to over 8,700 words in the 2023 report. The reports on El Salvador and Moldova have been reduced by more than 75%.
Key sections removed include:
- Gender-based violence and women’s rights violations
- LGBTQ+ discrimination and violence
- Discrimination against people with disabilities
- Violence against indigenous peoples
- Government corruption
- Restrictions on freedom of assembly
- Right to fair public trials
- Environmental justice
The report also eliminates references to diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, along with mentions of privacy violations and restrictions on internet freedom.
Countries considered allies or partners of the Trump administration saw a different tune in the report. El Salvador, which previously faced detailed criticism for significant human rights issues, including unlawful killings, torture, and harsh prison conditions, now receives a clean bill of health. The 2024 report states there were “no credible reports of significant human rights abuses” in the Central American nation.
This revision comes as the Trump administration has strengthened ties with El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, providing $6 million to help house migrants deported from the United States in the country’s notorious CECOT mega-prison.
Israel’s section underwent similar treatment:
- The report is over 80% shorter than the previous year
- No mention of the Gaza humanitarian crisis
- Omits casualty figures from Israel’s military operations
- Removes references to the severe humanitarian situation in Gaza
Hungary also received dramatically different treatment, with the report now claiming “no credible reports of significant human rights abuses,” despite the 2023 edition documenting extensive government corruption and anti-LGBTQ crackdowns.
While softening language on allies, the report intensified criticism of countries that have clashed with the Trump administration. Brazil faces new condemnation for alleged restrictions on freedom of speech, particularly targeting supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro. The report specifically criticizes Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes for ordering the suspension of over 100 X (formerly Twitter) user profiles.
South Africa received harsh new criticism, with the report claiming a deterioration in human rights and describing the country’s Expropriation Act as “a substantially worrying step towards land expropriation of Afrikaners.” While the United States is deporting immigrants, even those who are in the States legally, the Trump administration has accepted white South Africans as refugees.
European allies including Germany, France, and the United Kingdom faced new criticism for alleged restrictions on freedom of expression. The report characterizes the human rights situation as having worsened in these countries.
The report’s transformation occurred during a reorganization of the State Department under Secretary Marco Rubio. The department laid off approximately 1,350 employees, including many from the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, which is responsible for drafting the human rights reports.
Rubio previously criticized the bureau as having become a platform for “left-wing activists,” vowing to redirect its focus toward “Western values”. The reorganization reduced the department’s structure from 734 bureaus and offices to 602.
The reduced reports could have significant practical consequences beyond diplomatic messaging. Asylum officers and immigration judges routinely use State Department human rights reports as evidence when evaluating protection claims from individuals fleeing persecution.
