Sponsors (3)
Introduced September 16, 2025 by Elise M. Stefanik · Last progress September 16, 2025
The bill centralizes control over U.S. interactions with the International Criminal Court—protecting local resources and preventing conflicting municipal actions—at the cost of limiting state/local ability to assist international investigations, potentially delaying accountability and complicating international relations.
State and local governments and officers will be prohibited from acting on ICC requests or being compelled to arrest/detain foreign nationals on ICC process without explicit federal authorization, creating a single national policy and reducing conflicting obligations and legal uncertainty across jurisdictions.
Federal government (Congress and the President) will retain clear control over foreign-relations decisions involving the ICC, reducing the risk that municipalities' actions will complicate diplomacy.
Local governments and taxpayers will not be required to use public funds, facilities, or personnel to carry out ICC arrests absent explicit federal authorization, preserving local resources and avoiding unplanned expenditures.
State and local governments, victims, and immigrant communities could be prevented from cooperating promptly with international criminal investigations—potentially delaying accountability for serious crimes and harming public safety—if federal authorization is slow or withheld.
U.S. cooperation with the ICC and relations with allied countries could be hindered, risking diplomatic friction and potential foreign-policy or economic consequences.
Federal, state, and local authorities may face increased legal complexity and operational friction if federal authorities seek cooperation but state/local officers are barred without new authorization, complicating timely responses to international law-enforcement requests.
Based on analysis of 5 sections of legislative text.
Prevents state and local officers from enforcing ICC warrants or assisting the ICC unless Congress or the President specifically authorizes cooperation.
Prohibits state, territorial, District of Columbia, and local officers and employees from arresting, detaining, or otherwise depriving liberty of a foreign national solely on the basis of an International Criminal Court (ICC) request, warrant, or indictment, and bars use of public resources to assist the ICC. Cooperation is allowed only if Congress expressly authorizes it in law for a specific case or the President provides a written certification and authorization tied to a declared national security interest. The law also makes federal law controlling where a state or local rule conflicts and includes a severability clause to preserve the rest of the law if any part is struck down.