Federal Judge Blocks Trump’s Executive Order Against International Criminal Court Associates

A federal judge issued a ruling on Friday that halts the implementation of an executive order from U.S. President Donald Trump aimed at individuals associated with the International Criminal Court (ICC). This decision comes in response to a lawsuit filed in April by two advocates for human rights, contesting Trump’s order from February 6, which proposed extensive economic and travel sanctions against those involved in ICC investigations concerning U.S. citizens or allied nations, including Israel.

In her decision, U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen characterized the executive order as a violation of free speech rights. She noted, “The executive order appears to restrict substantially more speech than necessary to further that end.” Judge Torresen emphasized that the order broadly bans any speech-related services that could assist the prosecutor, regardless of whether those services pertain to ICC investigations involving the United States, Israel, or any other U.S. ally.

As of yet, neither the White House nor the ICC has provided comments regarding the ruling. The executive order specifically targeted ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan, a British national, placing him on a list of sanctioned individuals and entities maintained by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. Under the terms of the order, U.S. citizens providing services that benefit Khan or others who are sanctioned could face both civil and criminal penalties, a directive that has faced condemnation from the ICC and numerous countries worldwide.