Overview
- U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman granted a preliminary injunction this week that bars the Trump administration from enforcing sanctions against Democracy for the Arab World Now and the Taxpayer Alliance Against Genocide.
- Furman said the groups had shown a strong likelihood of winning their claim that the February 2025 executive order unlawfully restricts speech by targeting advocacy that assists International Criminal Court probes.
- The judge denied requests to declare the executive order facially unconstitutional and to issue a universal injunction, and he directed the parties to meet and file a joint letter before the court decides on permanent relief.
- DAWN and TAAG, which have gathered material for ICC submissions about alleged crimes in Gaza, said they would resume advocacy after the ruling while broader U.S. measures against the ICC remain in place.
- The decision creates an immediate judicial check on the administration’s campaign to deter cooperation with the ICC and could shape whether U.S. sanctions chill human rights advocacy or go forward in other cases.