Human rights groups sue Trump administration over ‘crippling’ ICC sanctions

Four US-based human rights organizations have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC). American Friends Service Committee, Center for Constitutional Rights, Human Rights Watch, and Open Society Institute argue the sanctions are "blatantly illegal" and infringe upon their First and Fifth Amendment rights under the US Constitution and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

The plaintiffs claim the sanctions force them to limit their human rights and legal work, potentially violating their constitutional rights.

The administration sanctioned the ICC following Trump's executive order in January 2025, targeting the court for investigations of top Israeli officials. ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan, the only individual named in the sanctions, has since been removed from his position due to sexual assault allegations he denies. The sanctions include freezing assets, restricting access to international banking systems, and preventing entry into the United States for non-US individuals and their family members who assist in ICC investigations of US citizens or allies.

The lawsuit is not the first in response to US sanctions targeting the ICC. Last July, Palestinian rights advocates in the US filed a legal challenge in a New York City federal court, seeking to halt the Trump administration's enforcement of sanctions against groups or individuals working with the ICC. They contend that Trump's powers to sanction the ICC are based on a "pseudo national emergency" with no factual basis.

The sanctions have prevented the four plaintiff organizations from representing war crime victims, submitting legal and policy proposals to the ICC, and collaborating with sanctioned Palestinian human rights groups, among other activities.