Four U.S.-based human rights organizations have taken legal action against President Donald Trump’s administration for the sanctions imposed on the International Criminal Court (ICC), alleging that these measures are unlawful. The American Friends Service Committee, the Center for Constitutional Rights, Human Rights Watch, and the Open Society Institute jointly filed a lawsuit in the Southern District of New York.
The lawsuit contends that Trump overstepped his authority by issuing an executive order in February 2025, enabling sanctions against ICC staff and any foreign entities aiding the court. These sanctions were triggered by ICC arrest warrants issued in late 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant on charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza, allegations that Israel has denied.
Upon announcing the sanctions, Washington criticized the arrest warrants as “baseless” and objected to the ICC’s efforts to investigate U.S. personnel in Afghanistan. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit argue that these sanctions have impeded their human rights and legal activities, violating their constitutional rights, including freedom of speech.
In an online news conference unveiling the lawsuit, Liz Evenson, the international justice director at Human Rights Watch, stated, “By targeting the ICC through these sanctions, the Trump administration is undermining the rule of law crucial for safety and the promotion of human rights globally.” The White House, when asked for comment on the lawsuit, described the ICC as politicized and asserted the U.S. would take necessary actions to safeguard its sovereignty and allies from what it deemed illegitimate ICC actions.
The ICC, headquartered in The Hague, investigates and prosecutes individuals accused of war crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity, and aggression. The U.S. has had a strained relationship with the court for years, not being a signatory to the Rome Statute that established the ICC in 1998 and rejecting its authority.
Under the Trump administration, tensions escalated significantly, with sanctions imposed on the ICC’s former chief prosecutor and several judges, including Canada’s Kimberly Prost. Last month, the U.S. government intensified efforts to “dismantle” the ICC, citing it as a threat to American sovereignty. The administration faced another lawsuit over the ICC sanctions from U.S.-based advocacy groups, alleging violations of free speech and suppression of Palestinian human rights advocacy.
In a separate legal development on the same day, U.S. legal groups sought court intervention to prevent the Trump administration from restricting birthright citizenship, following the Supreme Court’s refusal in June to uphold the administration’s attempt to deny citizenship to children born in the U.S. to unauthorized or temporary immigrant parents. Despite the Supreme Court ruling, Trump issued executive orders aimed at limiting birthright citizenship, which the ACLU and other organizations argue circumvent the court’s directive.
The ongoing legal battles highlight the complex and contentious issues surrounding human rights, international law, and constitutional rights in the United States under the Trump administration.