Amal Clooney and several other prominent British lawyers have been warned by the U.K. Foreign Office that they could face U.S. sanctions under President Donald Trump's recent executive order targeting legal professionals advising the International Criminal Court (ICC) in war crimes cases against Israeli leaders, the Financial Times reported.
In February, Trump signed Executive Order 14203, "Imposing Sanctions on the International Criminal Court," which named British lawyer and ICC prosecutor Karim Khan as the first barrister sanctioned under the directive. The order raises the possibility that others, including Clooney, could be subjected to restrictions that would bar them from entering the United States, freeze their assets, and prohibit economic transactions.
If sanctions are imposed, Amal Clooney, 47, could be prevented from entering the U.S., where she owns property with husband George Clooney. A spokesperson for George Clooney declined to comment on the Financial Times report.
Born in Beirut and raised in Buckinghamshire, Clooney studied at Oxford and New York University and is qualified to practice law in both the U.S. and the U.K. She has been a vocal advocate for international justice and recently provided legal advice in the ICC's investigation that led to the issuance of arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes in Gaza.
Trump's executive order cited the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977, the National Emergencies Act of 1976, and the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952. Under these laws, the president can freeze assets and deny entry without requiring a criminal conviction or standard due process.
Tirelli added that there is "no way to appeal an executive order," meaning sanctioned individuals would need to pursue lengthy federal litigation while facing ongoing restrictions.
The sanctions would mark a rare instance of the U.S. targeting foreign lawyers for professional activities. Tirelli noted, "There is absolutely no record of past U.S. sanctions against foreign lawyers purely for the exercise of professional legal functions."
The rumored sanctions stand in contrast to the United Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers (1990), which state that governments must ensure lawyers can "perform all of their professional functions without intimidation, hindrance, harassment or improper interference."
Amal Clooney's involvement comes amid growing U.S. hostility toward the ICC following its November 2024 decision to issue arrest warrants related to Israel's military operations in Gaza. Trump's executive order claims the ICC "abused its power by issuing baseless arrest warrants," arguing that neither Israel nor the United States are party to the Rome Statute that governs the court's jurisdiction.
The American Bar Association criticized Trump's move in March 2025, stating, "We reject efforts to undermine the courts and the profession. We will not stay silent in the face of efforts to remake the legal profession into something that rewards those who agree with the government and punishes those who do not."
