ICC inquiry sanctions blocked by US judge for two human rights groups

A federal judge in New York has granted a preliminary injunction stopping the Trump administration from penalizing two domestic human rights organizations that are assisting the International Criminal Court with its probe into alleged war crimes in Gaza.

In a 30-page ruling released Tuesday, Judge Jesse M. Furman of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York temporarily barred enforcement of sanctions against Democracy for the Arab World Now, known as Dawn, and the Taxpayer Alliance Against Genocide, or Taag. The two organizations filed a lawsuit over the summer against an executive order enacted in February 2025 targeting the international tribunal.

The contentious White House directive promised significant penalties against individuals and entities supporting court inquiries perceived to endanger American national security or that of key partners, including Israel. The measure followed the ICC's decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. Both Israeli officials denied wrongdoing, and Washington condemned the warrants.

Judge Furman determined that the two advocacy organizations had established a strong likelihood of success on constitutional grounds. The judge noted that a previous legal challenge brought by two law professors had established that the restrictions infringed upon protected First Amendment rights. Furman stated that the 2025 order acts as a content-based limit on speech-related conduct and fails to pass strict legal scrutiny.

The court declined, however, to invalidate the directive across the board. Furman rejected requests from the plaintiffs to issue a nationwide injunction that would halt enforcement of the sanctions against all parties, and he did not declare the entire policy unconstitutional on its face.

Advocates for the organizations celebrated the court's intervention. Joseph Pace, legal counsel representing Dawn and Taag, characterized the outcome as a significant defense of free speech and a meaningful setback for the administration's sanctions framework. Dawn's executive director, Omar Shakir, said the ruling decisively checked efforts to insulate Israeli officials from accountability. Dawn announced plans to restart its engagement with the ICC immediately.

A US State Department spokesperson declined to address the active court proceedings directly but reiterated the administration's stance that the tribunal in The Hague presents an unacceptable challenge to American sovereignty. The White House did not provide immediate comment on the ruling, which arrived shortly after the federal government implemented financial restrictions against the international court.