Judges Sue Trump Administration Over Sanctions

Kimberly Prost, a Canadian judge at the International Criminal Court, is challenging the Trump administration’s sanctions with a lawsuit. Two fellow judges, Reine Alapini-Gansou from Benin and Solomy Balungi Bossa from Uganda, join her. They claim President Trump’s actions exceeded his authority, viewing the penalties as retaliatory.

The lawsuit, initiated in the Southern District of New York, aims to counter what experts argue was an attempt to undermine international law. If successful, it might limit the U.S. government’s capability to impose sanctions on judges for unfavorable rulings.

The Trump administration levied these sanctions last year, primarily sparked by the I.C.C.’s investigations into actions by Israelis and Americans. Notably, neither Israel nor the U.S. are members of the court, which prosecutes severe international crimes, such as genocide.

In February 2025, the State Department, reacting to these investigations, enacted sanctions. By June, Secretary of State Marco Rubio had expanded the list, targeting four judges, including Ms. Alapini-Gansou and Ms. Bossa, for their issuance of arrest warrants against Israeli leaders.