Four U.S.-based human rights organizations have taken legal action against the Trump administration for imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), claiming the sanctions are illegal. The lawsuit was 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.

The legal challenge alleges that President Trump overstepped his authority by issuing an executive order in February 2025 that authorized sanctions against ICC personnel and individuals or groups supporting the court. The sanctions were imposed after the ICC issued 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.

Critics of the sanctions argue that they have hindered their human rights and legal activities, infringing on rights protected under the U.S. Constitution, including freedom of speech. Liz Evenson, the international justice director at Human Rights Watch, criticized the Trump administration for undermining the rule of law necessary for safeguarding human rights globally.

The White House defended its actions against the ICC, labeling the court as politicized and asserting its commitment to safeguarding U.S. sovereignty and that of its allies from what it considers 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 strained relationship with the court for years, with tensions escalating under the Trump administration, which targeted ICC officials with sanctions, including former top prosecutor and judges. The administration has accused the ICC of threatening American sovereignty.

In a separate legal development, U.S. legal groups sought court intervention to prevent the Trump administration from restricting birthright citizenship despite a recent Supreme Court ruling rejecting such restrictions. The ACLU and other organizations argued that the administration’s executive orders aimed at curbing birthright citizenship circumvent the Supreme Court’s ruling and urged the court to affirm the protection of citizenship rights.