Overview
- The three sitting judges filed a 66‑page federal complaint in Manhattan on Wednesday, June 24, asking a U.S. court to lift the sanctions and naming President Trump and senior administration officials as defendants.
- The suit argues the sanctions exceed the scope of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act by targeting judges for judicial decisions rather than a genuine national emergency.
- The judges say the measures have blocked routine financial and online services, stopped them from booking travel and in some cases prevented the submission of evidence or arguments in cases they oversee.
- The sanctions were imposed last year in retaliation for ICC actions, including a 2024 arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a prior probe into alleged U.S. troop abuses in Afghanistan.
- If the Manhattan court accepts the challenge, the case could test limits on U.S. use of IEEPA and OFAC enforcement against international jurists and affect banks that must comply with U.S. dollar clearing and asset‑freeze rules.