1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

The second term of Donald Trump as US president gravely threatens human rights and democratic institutions in America and around the world. Despite the efforts of many Americans like me who voted against him, we unfortunately failed to prevent his reelection. It is now imperative and urgently important that our leaders, who are the only ones who can act at this point, do all they can to protect us. His record from the first term is replete with policies that undermined asylum protections, scapegoated communities of color, attacked low-income families' access to healthcare, and incited an insurrection against fair elections. His campaign rhetoric and allied policy plans indicate even more severe human rights violations may occur, including mass detention and deportation of immigrants, criminalizing abortion access, political retaliation against opponents, and further erosion of democratic checks and balances. Securing human rights will require sustained civic action, advocacy from independent organizations, and stalwart defense of rights-respecting norms by public officials at all levels. All who value human dignity and democratic principles must unite to hold the Trump administration accountable for any abuses and uphold the human rights of all people.