What human rights have been violated in the US?

Asked by: Shayna Wuckert PhD  |  Last update: January 31, 2026
Score: 4.9/5 (62 votes)

Reports from organizations like Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and the UN cite persistent US human rights concerns, focusing on issues like excessive policing, high incarceration rates, racial disparities in the justice system, gun violence, restrictions on reproductive rights, immigration policy harms, and lack of child protections, alongside international concerns about US foreign policy impacts on human rights. Key areas include police brutality and accountability, mass incarceration, discrimination against minorities, and failure to regulate firearms, all impacting fundamental rights like life, liberty, and health.

What human rights are being violated in the United States?

Issues surrounding Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, asylum seekers, poverty, working class rights, foreign policy, and arbitrary arrest and detention are ongoing.

What are some examples of human rights violations?

Abductions, arbitrary arrests, detentions without trial, political executions, assassinations, and torture often follow. In cases where extreme violations of human rights have occurred, reconciliation and peacebuilding become much more difficult.

What are some major issues in the United States?

  • Anti-Corruption and Transparency.
  • Arms Control and Nonproliferation.
  • Climate and Environment.
  • Climate Crisis.
  • Combating Drugs and Crime.
  • Countering Terrorism.
  • Cyber Issues.
  • Economic Prosperity and Trade Policy.

What are the top 10 human rights?

10 Examples of Human Rights

  • #1. The right to life. ...
  • #2. The right to freedom from torture. ...
  • #3. The right to equal treatment before the law. ...
  • #4. The right to freedom of movement. ...
  • #5. The right to return. ...
  • #6. The right to asylum. ...
  • #7. The right to marry. ...
  • #8. The right to freedom of thought.

What Human Rights Are Being Violated In The United States? - International Policy Zone

23 related questions found

What is No. 1 human rights?

Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

What are the 5 R's of human rights?

It reminds personnel of “the five R's of human rights” (recognize, refrain, react, record, and report) and lists USSoUthCom's standing orders concerning respect for human rights.

What are 5 issues in today's society?

Five major societal problems today include climate change, income inequality & poverty, healthcare access & affordability, political polarization & distrust, and racial & social discrimination, all interconnected and impacting global well-being, economic stability, and social justice. These challenges affect everything from basic needs like food and clean water to fundamental rights and mental health, often disproportionately impacting vulnerable populations. 

What are the major human rights issues?

Human Rights Issues

  • Arbitrary Detention.
  • Crimes Against Humanity.
  • Forced Disappearance.
  • Sexual and Gender-based Violence.
  • Genocide.
  • Summary Execution.
  • Torture.
  • War Crimes.

What rights do Americans have?

U.S. citizens have fundamental rights including free speech, religion, press, assembly, and the right to bear arms, primarily guaranteed by the Bill of Rights (first ten amendments). Key citizenship rights include the ability to vote in federal elections, run for office, apply for federal jobs, and reside/work freely in the U.S., with protections for due process, fair trials, and protection from discrimination, ensuring equality and liberty for all people within its borders.
 

What are some examples of police violating human rights?

But many of these rights are being violated through police use of unlawful force and other unlawful conduct, which might include beatings, racial abuse and reckless use of less lethal weapons, as well as unlawful killings and torture. Legality, necessity and proportionality are crucial principles in policing.

What human rights does racism violate?

For example, the Racial Discrimination Act provides that it is unlawful to do any act 'involving a distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin which has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal ...

What are some examples of freedom of speech violations?

Freedom of speech does not include the right:

  • To incite imminent lawless action. ...
  • To make or distribute obscene materials. ...
  • To burn draft cards as an anti-war protest. ...
  • To permit students to print articles in a school newspaper over the objections of the school administration.

What bill did Trump pass?

One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) or the Big Beautiful Bill (P.L. 119-21), is a U.S. federal statute passed by the 119th United States Congress containing tax and spending policies that form the core of President Donald Trump's second-term agenda.

Did the U.S. pull out of human rights?

Just weeks later, President Trump signed an Executive Order withdrawing the United States from the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and prohibiting any future funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency for the Near East (UNRWA).

Why do states violate human rights?

Governments abuse rights because doing so helps leaders exercise, expand, or retain their power. Normatively, this is troubling. Yet, as a positive matter, it should not be surprising.

What are some human rights issues in America?

Black people, other racialized groups and low-income people suffered severe health, environmental and climate impacts from the petrochemical industry.

  • Background. ...
  • Sexual and reproductive rights. ...
  • Refugees' and migrants' rights. ...
  • Freedom of peaceful assembly. ...
  • Right to a healthy environment. ...
  • Excessive use of force. ...
  • Death penalty.

What is the 34 human rights?

34 deals with the right to freedom of expression under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The comment, finalized on July 21, 2011, constitutes an authoritative interpretation of the freedoms of opinion and expression guaranteed by Article 19 of the covenant.

What is the biggest threat to human rights?

Climate change – the greatest threat to human rights in the 21st century. It is now beyond doubt that climate change adversely affects a broad range of human rights that are recognised and protected under international law.

What's the biggest problem right now?

There isn't one single "biggest" problem, but leading global issues consistently cited include climate change, economic instability (inflation, poverty, inequality), geopolitical conflicts, threats to democracy, and significant social/human rights issues like healthcare access, food security, and discrimination, with concerns varying by region and perspective. These complex challenges are interconnected, impacting everything from daily life to long-term survival and societal stability.
 

What are the 10 biggest problems in the world?

The 10 biggest problems in the world, frequently cited by organizations like the UN and World Economic Forum, center on interconnected crises like climate change, poverty, hunger/food insecurity, global health (pandemics, disease, mental health), lack of quality education, water scarcity, conflict/war, gender inequality, political instability/corruption, and issues related to biodiversity loss, with recent focus also on AI risks and technological disruption. 

What are six big problems we currently face?

While it's hardly a comprehensive discussion, it's a solid introduction to the kinds of concerns facing our world today.

  • #1. Poverty. ...
  • #2. Climate change. ...
  • #3. Food insecurity. ...
  • #4. Refugee rights. ...
  • #5. COVID-19. ...
  • #6. Future pandemic preparation and response. ...
  • #7. Healthcare. ...
  • #8. Mental health.

What is a violation of basic human rights?

According to the United Nations, a human rights violation occurs when actions by state or non-state actors abuse, ignore, or deny basic human rights laid out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) This includes civil, political, cultural, social, and economic rights.

What is article 5 of human rights?

Article 5 protects your right not to be deprived of your liberty or freedom unless it's in accordance with the law. This means you mustn't be imprisoned or detained unless there's a law which allows it and the correct procedure is followed - for example, the imprisonment of criminals.

What are the criticism of human rights?

Criticisms often arise from perspectives like cultural relativism, which argue that individual human rights are inappropriate for societies that prioritize a communal or collectivist identity, and may conflict with certain cultural or traditional practices.