New US Rules Classify DEI Measures & Abortion Support As Human Rights Issues

The U.S. State Department has issued new guidelines directing officials to classify the enforcement of affirmative action, DEI policies, and state subsidies for abortion as human rights infringements in its next annual human rights report.

The shift follows the Trump administration’s broader effort to align foreign policy with its priorities and restructure the human rights framework within the department. Officials have been instructed to document actions such as arrests related to speech, state-backed abortion services, and employment policies offering preferential treatment based on identity categories. Deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the administration aims to highlight practices it considers violations of rights. The updated approach comes after recent changes that softened criticism of certain partner countries while increasing scrutiny of issues such as speech restrictions in Europe and political tensions with Brazil and South Africa.