Judges Suing Trump Over Sanctions

The Trump administration’s sanctions on judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) have led to legal action. Three judges, including Kimberly Prost from Canada, are suing President Trump and his administration. They argue the sanctions go beyond his legal authority.

The lawsuit, initiated in the Southern District of New York, raises concerns about possible efforts to weaken international law. If the judges succeed, the American government’s ability to sanction judicial figures for unfavorable rulings may be limited.

Judge Prost’s co-plaintiffs include Reine Alapini-Gansou from Benin and Solomy Balungi Bossa from Uganda. The case was shared with The New York Times by one of the judges’ legal representatives.

The State Department enforced these sanctions in February 2025 because of the ICC’s investigations involving Israeli and American activities. Both countries are not ICC members. The ICC, located in The Hague, was formed in 2002 to address grave crimes like genocide.

In June, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced further sanctions. This included sanctions on Judges Alapini-Gansou and Bossa for authorizing arrest warrants against Israeli officials.