U.S. Launches Campaign to Neutralize the International Criminal Court

Overview

• The State Department, which announced the campaign on July 13, published a document called "Campaign to neutralize the threat of the International Criminal Court to American sovereignty" that lays out expanded steps to limit the court’s reach.
• Secretary of State Marco Rubio cast the ICC as conducting a legal "war" on the United States and said the campaign will use targeted sanctions, travel bans and financial restrictions against ICC officials.
• The plan directs U.S. diplomats to press other governments to sever financial and political ties to the Hague court and warns countries that rely on U.S. aid will face closer scrutiny if they refuse.
• Rights groups and the European Union denounced the move as an attack on international justice, and two U.S. advocacy organizations filed a federal suit seeking to block Trump-era executive measures that underlie the sanctions.
• The campaign builds on earlier U.S. steps that froze assets and restricted visas for ICC staff in February 2025, but officials say the precise effect on ICC operations is unclear and further measures remain under consideration.