A group of four human rights organizations in the United States has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over its imposition of sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC). The lawsuit, lodged by the American Friends Service Committee, the Center for Constitutional Rights, Human Rights Watch, and the Open Society Institute, was initiated in the Southern District of New York.
The legal action contends that President Trump overstepped his authority by issuing an executive order in February 2025 that allowed for sanctions against ICC personnel and individuals or entities supporting the court. These sanctions were a response to ICC arrest warrants issued in late 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant regarding alleged crimes in Gaza, which Israel has denied.
The lawsuit argues that the sanctions have impeded the plaintiffs’ ability to carry out human rights and legal activities, violating their constitutional rights, including freedom of speech. Liz Evenson, the international justice director at Human Rights Watch, expressed concerns during an online news conference unveiling the lawsuit, stating that the Trump administration’s actions undermine the rule of law and human rights globally.
In response to inquiries about the lawsuit, a White House official criticized the ICC for its alleged politicization and asserted the U.S. government’s commitment to safeguarding its sovereignty and that of its allies from what it perceives as illegitimate actions by the ICC.
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 contentious relationship with the court for many years and has not ratified the Rome Statute that established the ICC in 1998.
Under the Trump administration, tensions escalated significantly, leading to sanctions against ICC judges and officials. The U.S. government recently intensified efforts to dismantle the ICC, citing concerns about threats to American sovereignty.
Furthermore, advocacy groups have challenged the administration’s sanctions, alleging violations of free speech and suppression of Palestinian human rights advocacy. Separately, sanctioned ICC judges, including Canada’s Kimberly Prost, filed a lawsuit arguing that the sanctions are an unlawful attempt to influence their judicial independence.
In a related development, U.S. legal groups have petitioned a judge to affirm that the Trump administration cannot restrict birthright citizenship, following executive orders seeking to curtail this citizenship. The groups argue that these orders conflict with a recent Supreme Court ruling on the issue.