Days after three ICC judges filed a lawsuit over the sanctions, the United States announced it would reject any efforts by the court to assert its authority over its citizens.
President Donald Trump’s administration has again condemned the International Criminal Court (ICC), vowing that any effort to assert its authority over American citizens will be considered a “direct affront” to the nation’s sovereignty.
The statement, made in a letter to ICC President Tomoko Akane, contained no new policy positions but represented the latest rhetorical salvo against the international tribunal.
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“The ICC is acting in an increasingly lawless and unlawful manner,” Todd Blanche, the acting U.S. attorney general, said in a June 29 letter released Thursday.
The United States is not a party to the court’s founding document, the Rome Statute, so it is not subject to the court’s jurisdiction.
But critics argue that U.S. action on signatory country soil could lead to ICC proceedings.
Both Democratic and Republican administrations have rejected any investigation that could trap Americans, but some presidents have expressed tacit support for the court.
Still, the Trump administration has taken a particularly hard line toward the courts, issuing numerous sanctions against courts and top prosecutors. These measures also extended to any group or organization assisting U.S. citizens or allies in the investigation.
For example, in October, the Trump administration used ICC sanctions to impose economic sanctions on three Palestinian rights groups accused of participating in a court investigation into Israeli crimes.
President Trump previously issued an executive order in February 2025, describing sanctions on the ICC as a result of the court’s “actions” targeting “Israel, a close ally of the United States.”
In November 2024, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Job Gallant on charges of war crimes committed during Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza. It also issued warrants for several Hamas officials who were subsequently killed.
Israel is also not a party to the Treaty of Rome, although Palestine is, and rejects the court’s authority.
In his letter Thursday, Blanche accused the ICC of pursuing “an investigation that appears to be driven not only by legal merits but also by political pressure and institutional self-interest.”
He also reaffirmed the US position that courts cannot pursue US citizens in investigations.
“The ICC has no jurisdiction over American persons anywhere in the world, and any attempt to assert such authority is unjust, illegal, and a direct affront to U.S. sovereignty,” Blanche wrote.
It was not immediately clear why Mr. Blanche decided to send the letter this week.
Court officials did not publicly respond to the letter, but the judiciary has repeatedly supported the investigation.
The letter was made public after three ICC judges filed a lawsuit in federal court in Manhattan challenging the Trump administration’s sanctions.
The judges argued that the Trump administration sought to exert extrajudicial pressure on the courts by imposing sanctions to punish and coerce judges.
The letter also comes months after New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani suggested he would use local authorities to arrest Netanyahu if he visited the city.
Prime Minister Netanyahu said he would continue to visit the city despite the threats.
