Friends, Students, Community Members, and Colleagues:
The Trump administration has once again turned its back on global human rights accountability—this time by refusing to participate in the United Nations’ Universal Periodic Review (UPR), the process where every country is asked to account for its human rights record. The U.S. has taken part in every review since 2010, but this year it walked away—at the very moment when international scrutiny is most urgent.
The ACLU blasted the boycott as “a chilling attempt to evade accountability,” warning it emboldens authoritarian regimes and weakens protections for basic freedoms at home and abroad. It’s not hard to see why Trump is ducking the process: the U.S. government is already facing mounting criticism for human rights violations committed by ICE—ripping families apart, caging children, and forcing undocumented immigrants into what can only be described as modern-day concentration camps.
By abandoning the UPR, the administration is shielding itself from global accountability while doubling down on its attacks on vulnerable communities. This is not leadership—it is complicity in cruelty.
We cannot stay silent. Communities, students, and allies must make clear that we reject bigotry, authoritarianism, and the dismantling of democratic institutions.
Join Austin SDS Rally—UT Students in Opposition to the Trump Administration’s Bigoted and Reactionary Agenda! Thursday, September 4th at 5PM.
-Angela Valenzuela
Reference
Corbett, J. (2025, Aug. 28). 'Chilling Attempt to Evade Accountability': Trump to Boycott UN Human Rights Review, Common Dreams. https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-un-human-rights-council
Join Austin SDS Rally—UT Students in Opposition to the Trump Administration’s Bigoted and Reactionary Agenda! Thursday, September 4th at 5PM
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