Amal Clooney, a prominent human rights attorney, faces potential restrictions on entering the United States. This situation arises from her involvement with the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024. Clooney, who lives part-time in the U.S. with her husband, actor George Clooney, and their twins, may be affected by these developments.
The UK Foreign Office has alerted several senior British lawyers, including Amal Clooney, about the risk of sanctions from the Trump administration due to their participation in this contentious legal case.
President Donald Trump, in February 2025, signed an executive order imposing sanctions on ICC officials, employees, and their families. The order enforces financial penalties and visa restrictions on those linked to the court’s actions.
To date, ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan is the sole individual explicitly named in Trump’s order. Khan had initially advocated for the court to issue arrest warrants against Israeli leaders in May 2024.
If Amal Clooney, a British citizen of Lebanese descent, becomes subject to these sanctions, she risks being barred from the U.S., where she has a residence with George Clooney, whom she married in September 2014. The couple has seven-year-old twins, Ella and Alexander.
Clooney significantly contributed to the ICC’s decision after joining a panel of international legal experts last year to assess evidence of alleged war crimes in Israel and Gaza.
The panel unanimously concluded that the ICC held jurisdiction over crimes committed during Israel’s conflict with Hamas and suggested accountability for both Hamas and Israeli leaders.
In November 2024, the ICC stated there were “reasonable grounds” to suspect that Netanyahu and Gallant “intentionally and knowingly deprived the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable for their survival,” according to court documents.
The arrest warrants accuse Netanyahu and Gallant of “the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare, as well as crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts.”
The ICC also pursued an arrest warrant for Hamas military leader Mohammed Deif, linked to the October 7, 2023, attack that caused approximately 1,200 deaths in Israel and 251 hostages taken. Israeli authorities later confirmed Deif’s death in a targeted strike in July 2024. Hamas acknowledged his death on January 30, 2025. The ICC canceled the arrest warrant on February 26, 2025, following Hamas’s confirmation.
Netanyahu and Gallant now risk arrest in any of the 124 countries that have ratified the 1998 Rome Statute, including Austria, the United Kingdom, and France.
President Trump has opposed the ICC’s actions, declaring in his executive order that the ICC engaged in “illegitimate and baseless actions” by asserting jurisdiction over personnel from the United States and its ally, Israel, neither of which is a party to the ICC’s Rome Statute.
The executive order stated that this conduct “threatens the sovereignty of the United States and undermines its national security and foreign policy work, as well as that of its allies.”
The sanctions have drawn significant international criticism. Numerous countries, including many European allies, have expressed support for the ICC, viewing it as a crucial part of the international justice system.
The ICC condemned the sanctions and urged its member states to oppose them. A court spokesperson stated, “These measures represent a serious attack on the court’s judicial independence.”
The situation presents a challenging personal scenario for Amal Clooney. While she and George Clooney primarily reside in the United Kingdom and Italy, they also maintain homes in the United States. George Clooney is currently performing on Broadway in New York City, where the couple has temporarily relocated. He is starring in the play “Good Night, and Good Luck” at the Winter Garden Theater. The production began previews on March 12, 2025, officially opened on April 3, 2025, and is scheduled to run through June 8, 2025.
The Clooneys have had a contentious relationship with President Trump in the past. George Clooney publicly criticized Trump during both of his presidential campaigns.
The British Foreign Office has reportedly advised Amal Clooney and other British legal professionals involved in the ICC’s decision about the potential impact of the sanctions on their ability to travel to the United States.
The ICC is recognized as a court of last resort to investigate and prosecute individuals suspected of committing war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide when national courts are unwilling or unable to do so. Neither the United States nor Israel recognizes the ICC’s authority or jurisdiction.
Netanyahu and the Israeli government have denounced the ICC’s actions as “antisemitic” and politically motivated. Israeli officials assert that their military operations in Gaza were conducted in self-defense following the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023. Sanctions against the ICC have raised concerns about their effect on the court’s operations and its ability to pursue justice for victims of serious international crimes. Human rights organizations have warned that the sanctions could deter victims from testifying and impede the ICC’s technical and operational capabilities.