Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, and Hollywood veteran George Clooney’s wife, is expected to trigger an international diplomatic confrontation. The recent report indicates that she might encounter US sanctions that would block her entry into the States, where she resides in properties across California and New York.
Last week, the Financial Times revealed that the UK Foreign Office has quietly warned several high-profile British attorneys about the possibility of US sanctions. These lawyers had offered legal counsel to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in a case involving Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.
ALSO READ| Megyn Kelly fires back at George Clooney over journalism jab: ‘That’s not journalism, George…’
Amal Clooney could be denied entry to States
Just in February, Donald Trump adopted an executive order that listed British ICC prosecutor Karim Khan as the initial professional targeted by American sanctions in the case. Additional imposed sanctions might bar Amal from entering the States where she resides with her husband.
Trump invoked it through the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977. Under this law, he can freeze assets, deny entry, and block financial transactions for anyone deemed “hostile to American interests.”
The ICC’s controversial decision in November 2024 charged Netanyahu and Gallant with war crimes over Israel’s actions in Gaza. At the same time, the court also issued charges against three senior Hamas leaders — all of whom are now deceased — for their role in the deadly October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel.
Trump’s executive order claimed that the court had “abused its power by issuing baseless arrest warrants,” while also stressing that neither Israel nor the US is a party to the Rome Statute, the treaty that founded the ICC.
Amal, who was born in Lebanon in 1978 and moved to the UK as a toddler due to civil war, has long been a fierce advocate for human rights and international justice. She studied at Oxford and NYU, and is licensed to practice law in both the U.S. and the U.K. But her dual licensure might not protect her now.
ALSO READ| What is the ‘Women, Peace & Security’ program? Hegseth cancels ‘woke’ bill signed by Trump in 2017
International criminal lawyer Alexandro Maria Tirelli told People magazine, “There is a definite chance of fellow U.K. attorneys facing sanctions and being banned from entering the U.S.”
“An executive order does not require due process or a criminal conviction,” Tirelli explained. “With an executive order, there is no way to appeal it other than a federal lawsuit, which can last from six to 24 months.”
