United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the Trump administration will dismantle the International Criminal Court (ICC). He described the effort as one that would proceed “brick by brick, if necessary.”
Rubio’s statement marks a significant escalation in Washington’s long-standing opposition to the Hague-based court, which has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
US resistance to the ICC dates back decades. In 2002, the George W. Bush administration rejected membership in the Rome Statute, while Congress passed the American Service-Members’ Protection Act, authorizing measures to protect US personnel from ICC jurisdiction. During Donald Trump’s first presidency, Washington imposed sanctions on ICC officials over the Afghanistan investigation. In 2025, the administration expanded those sanctions to include prosecutors and judges involved in investigations related to Palestine and Afghanistan.
Legal experts warn that the sanctions extend beyond designated individuals by restricting Americans from providing financial or professional support to sanctioned officials. They argue that these measures have created uncertainty for court employees, lawyers, researchers, non-governmental organizations, banks and technology companies working with the ICC.
Although the United States cannot legally abolish the ICC because it was established through an international treaty, analysts say Washington could weaken its operations by restricting access to US financial systems, technology and communications infrastructure.
Critics argue that the administration has not identified any active ICC investigation targeting US officials. While the Afghanistan investigation remains open, prosecutors have prioritized alleged crimes by the Taliban and Islamic State-Khorasan instead of US personnel.
Supporters of the ICC maintain that the court operates under the Rome Statute and respects national judicial systems through the principle of complementarity, prosecuting cases only when national authorities are unwilling or unable to do so.
