Diyar Güldoğan
16 July 2026•Update: 16 July 2026
Two US-based advocacy groups filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's sanctions targeting the International Criminal Court (ICC), arguing the measures violate First Amendment rights of the Constitution by restricting their ability to engage in human rights advocacy related to Palestine.
Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) and the Taxpayer Alliance Against Genocide (TAAG) filed the lawsuit Wednesday in federal court in Manhattan, seeking to block the administration from enforcing sanctions that they say prevent US citizens from communicating and collaborating with the ICC, Palestinian human rights organizations and a United Nations expert.
The lawsuit comes after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio renewed the administration's criticism of the ICC, including in a July 13 Wall Street Journal opinion article in which he pledged to continue efforts to weaken the court and referenced DAWN's advocacy for international justice.
The plaintiffs are challenging Executive Order 14203, issued by President Donald Trump in February 2025, which authorizes sanctions against foreign individuals and organizations that support ICC investigations involving US or Israeli nationals. It prohibits Americans from providing or receiving "services" from sanctioned individuals or entities, with potential civil and criminal penalties for violations.
DAWN and TAAG argue that the sanctions have forced them and other advocacy groups to suspend work with the ICC and sever ties with sanctioned Palestinian human rights organizations and UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese for fear of prosecution.
"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 government is violating the constitutional rights of American citizens in order to shield officials of a foreign government who have committed a genocide."
The lawsuit argues that the sanctions infringe on free speech and freedom of association protected by the First Amendment by preventing Americans from submitting evidence to the ICC, collaborating with sanctioned organizations or advocating for investigations into alleged war crimes involving US and Israeli officials.
It also contends that the executive order exceeds the president's authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which exempts "personal communications" and the exchange of "information or informational materials" from sanctions restrictions.
The plaintiffs are seeking a court order preventing the administration from using the executive order to restrict Americans from supporting ICC investigations or working with sanctioned human rights organizations and individuals.
