U.S. lawsuit challenges Trump administration’s ICC sanctions as First‑Amendment violation

Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) and the Taxpayer Alliance Against Genocide (TAAG) filed a federal lawsuit in Manhattan on July 15, 2026, seeking to block an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in February 2025. The order imposed financial and travel sanctions on International Criminal Court (ICC) judges, prosecutors, UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese, and Palestinian human‑rights groups that cooperate with the court’s investigations into alleged war crimes in Gaza.

The plaintiffs argue that the sanctions infringe the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment by criminalising the expression and association of Americans who support the ICC’s work. They say the measures forced them to halt submissions to the court and to cease collaboration with sanctioned entities. "The Trump administration is using the blunt instrument of economic sanctions not only to punish human rights defenders but to police the political expression of millions of Americans," said Omar Shakir, DAWN’s executive director.

The lawsuit also cites the administration’s broader campaign, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, to “dismantle the ICC – brick by brick, if necessary,” following ICC arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant. The suit seeks an injunction that would invalidate the sanctions and restore the plaintiffs’ ability to advocate for Palestinian rights before the ICC.