Four U.S.-based human rights organizations have taken legal action against the Trump administration, challenging the sanctions imposed on the International Criminal Court (ICC). The lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of New York, alleges that President Trump overstepped his authority with an executive order in February 2025 that authorized sanctions against ICC personnel and individuals supporting the court’s activities. These sanctions followed the ICC’s issuance of arrest warrants 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, which Israel has denied.
The lawsuit asserts that the sanctions have hindered the human rights and legal work of the plaintiffs, infringing on their constitutional rights, including freedom of speech. Human Rights Watch’s international justice director, Liz Evenson, emphasized in an online news conference the detrimental impact of targeting the ICC through these sanctions, stating that it undermines the rule of law necessary for safety and global human rights protection.
In response to inquiries about the lawsuit, a White House official criticized the ICC for being politicized and asserted the U.S.’s commitment to protecting its sovereignty and allies from what it views as illegitimate actions by the court. The ICC, headquartered in The Hague, investigates and prosecutes individuals for war crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity, and aggression.
The relationship between the U.S. and the ICC has been strained for years, with tensions escalating during the Trump administration, which sanctioned ICC officials, including former judges. Efforts to dismantle the ICC were intensified by the U.S. government last month, citing concerns about American sovereignty. Additionally, advocacy groups in the U.S. have challenged the ICC sanctions, arguing that they impede freedom of speech and silence Palestinian human rights advocacy.
Separately, legal groups in the U.S. sought clarity from a judge regarding the Trump administration’s attempts to restrict birthright citizenship, following the Supreme Court’s rejection of denying citizenship to children born in the U.S. to unauthorized or temporary resident parents. Despite this ruling, President Trump issued executive orders aiming to limit birthright citizenship, prompting further legal challenges to uphold the Supreme Court’s decision.
