Four U.S. human rights organizations have taken legal action against the Trump administration for imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), alleging that the sanctions are illegal. The American Friends Service Committee, the Center for Constitutional Rights, Human Rights Watch, and the Open Society Institute jointly filed a lawsuit at the Southern District of New York on Tuesday.
The lawsuit contends that President Trump overstepped his authority by issuing an executive order in February 2025 that authorized sanctions against ICC personnel, as well as foreign individuals or groups supporting the court’s activities. The sanctions were imposed following 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, allegations that Israel has denied.
Upon announcing the sanctions, Washington criticized the ICC’s arrest warrants as “baseless” and objected to the court’s investigations into U.S. personnel in Afghanistan. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit argue that these sanctions have impeded their human rights and legal work, infringing on constitutional rights such as freedom of speech.
Liz Evenson, the international justice director at Human Rights Watch, expressed concerns during an online news conference about the Trump administration undermining the rule of law by targeting the ICC through sanctions. She emphasized the importance of upholding global norms for human rights protection and rejecting impunity.
In response to inquiries about the lawsuit, a White House official stated via email that the ICC has a politicized agenda and falsely claims unrestricted authority to investigate and prosecute U.S. and allied nationals. The official emphasized that the United States will take necessary actions to safeguard its sovereignty and its allies from what it perceives as illegitimate actions by the ICC.
The ICC, headquartered in The Hague, is responsible for investigating and prosecuting individuals accused of war crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity, and aggression. Over the years, the United States has had a contentious relationship with the court, escalating significantly under the Trump administration. Last year, the administration sanctioned the ICC’s former chief prosecutor and several judges, including Canada’s Kimberly Prost.
Recently, the U.S. government intensified efforts to “dismantle” the ICC, citing concerns about threats to American sovereignty. This move has sparked legal challenges from advocacy groups, including claims that the sanctions violate freedom of speech and hinder Palestinian human rights advocacy. Additionally, three ICC judges, including Prost, filed a lawsuit asserting that the sanctions were an unlawful attempt to influence their judicial decisions.
In a separate legal development on the same day, U.S. legal organizations petitioned a judge to affirm unequivocally that the Trump administration cannot impose restrictions on birthright citizenship. Despite a previous Supreme Court ruling rejecting the administration’s attempt to deny citizenship to children born in the U.S. to unauthorized or temporary residents, Trump issued executive orders seeking to limit birthright citizenship. The ACLU and other groups argue that these orders circumvent the Supreme Court’s decision and are urging the court to prevent the government from revoking citizenship through executive actions.
The legal battles highlight the ongoing clashes between the Trump administration and international judicial bodies, raising concerns about the protection of human rights and the rule of law on a global scale.