The #FBI has shut down its #ForeignInfluence task force. #CISA has ended its efforts to expose #disinformation. And this week the #State Dept put employees who tracked global disinformation on leave, shutting down the effort that had publicized the spread of #Chinese & #Russian #propaganda.

Almost 3 months into #Trump’s 2nd term, the guardrails intended to prevent #NationalSecurity missteps have come down as the new team races to anticipate & amplify the wishes of an #unpredictable president.

The reports on #Hungary & #ElSalvador are among 20 countries whose reports, the memo directs, must be flagged for special review by a "Senior Advisor" in the #State dept — a political appointee. The other countries flagged include #Argentina, #Egypt, #SouthAfrica, #Russia, #Ukraine, #Serbia, #Italy, the #Philippines, #Canada, #Mexico & the #UnitedKingdom.

As secretary of #state, #Rubio is now responsible for the reports. He's the person who, traditionally, would promote their release to the public. But under his stewardship, those violations he cited — #SexualExploitation of #women & #children & the denial of #PoliticalRights to minorities — are being deleted from the reports.

"You also can't overstate the damage it will do to that credibility if the #Trump administration's edits are seen to diminish — not just the scope of what are defined as #HumanRights, but also if those edits are seen to play favorites."

Fmr Secy of #State #MikePompeo complained during the first Trump admin about what he called "a proliferation of human rights," & he moved to pare them back.

People who specialize in #HumanRights work told NPR they worry about the effect the cuts will have on the documents' influence within the #international community.

"You can't overstate the value in the real world of the annual #State Dept human rights reports being credible & impartial," said Christopher Le Mon, until Jan a dpty asst secy in State Dept's Bureau of #Democracy, Human Rights & Labor.

András Lederer from #Hungary's oldest & largest #HumanRights group, the Hungarian Helsinki Cmte, told NPR that the #State Dept's new policy weakens the position of human rights defenders in countries that have a problematic track record on these issues.

"You're removing pressure, & it definitely sends the message to the perpetrators that this is not important for [the US] anymore," Lederer said.

By #law, the #State Dept releases annual reports for every country, & they traditionally follow one basic outline. The cuts ordered in the #Trump admin memo are not targeted at specific countries. Rather, they eliminate entire categories of #abuses from all the reports.

But some deletions are more noteworthy than others. The Trump admin recently negotiated the transfer of #immigrants from the #US into #ElSalvador's notorious #prison system.

NPR confirmed the memo's authenticity w/2 sources close to the process.

The reports, released in March or April most years, are highly anticipated by foreign leaders & diplomats w/ a stake in how their countries are portrayed. The 2024 reports were initially completed in January, before #Trump took office, but they've been re-edited by the new admin. #State Dept sources say the revised versions won't be released until May.

Forcibly returning a #refugee or #asylum-seeker to a home country where they may face #torture or #persecution will no longer be highlighted, nor will serious #harassment of #HumanRights organizations.

Acc/to an editing memo & other documents…, #State Dept employees are directed to "streamline" the reports by stripping them down to only that which is legally required. The memo says the changes aim to align the reports w/current #US #policy & "recently issued #ExecutiveOrders."

All the while, these fucks literally look at us and say "Look at what you did in the #election" as these #Liberals just sit there meekly doing nothing as #Trump destroys this fucking #government, #state & everything of this genocidal shitty country they love.