Four U.S.-based human rights organizations have initiated legal action against the Trump administration, asserting that the sanctions imposed on the International Criminal Court (ICC) are unlawful. The lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of New York by the American Friends Service Committee, the Center for Constitutional Rights, Human Rights Watch, and the Open Society Institute, challenges President Trump’s executive order from February 2025 that authorized sanctions on ICC personnel and individuals or groups supporting the court.
The sanctions were triggered by the ICC’s issuance of arrest warrants in late 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant over alleged crimes in Gaza, which Israel vehemently denies. The lawsuit contends that the sanctions have impeded the groups’ human rights and legal activities, infringing on their constitutional rights, including freedom of speech.
Human Rights Watch’s Liz Evenson emphasized in an online briefing that the administration’s actions undermine the rule of law crucial for safeguarding global human rights. The White House responded to CBC inquiries by labeling the ICC as politicized and emphasizing its commitment to safeguarding U.S. sovereignty and that of its allies against perceived illegitimate ICC actions.
The ICC, headquartered in The Hague, investigates and prosecutes individuals for war crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity, and aggression. The U.S. has had a strained relationship with the court, exacerbated during the Trump administration, which previously sanctioned ICC officials, including former top prosecutor and judges.
In a separate move, U.S. legal organizations have petitioned a judge to affirm that the Trump administration cannot impose restrictions on birthright citizenship, following the Supreme Court’s rejection of the administration’s bid to deny citizenship to children born in the U.S. to unauthorized or temporary resident parents. Despite the Supreme Court ruling, President Trump issued executive orders seeking to limit birthright citizenship, prompting legal challenges to uphold the court’s decision.
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