Amal Clooney, internationally renowned human rights lawyer and wife of Oscar-winning actor George Clooney, could soon face a ban from entering the United States under new sanctions proposed by the Trump administration.
While Amal gained public attention through her marriage to George Clooney in 2014—the couple now shares seven-year-old twins, Ella and Alexander—she has built a formidable career in her own right. Widely respected in the field of international law, Amal has represented high-profile clients such as former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed, and the two Reuters journalists imprisoned in Myanmar in 2017.
Most recently, reports suggest that Amal has been advising the International Criminal Court (ICC) on its investigation into Israel’s actions in Gaza. This alleged involvement could place her at odds with the Trump administration’s newly announced sanctions targeting ICC officials and affiliates—potentially including those, like Amal, who support or advise the court in cases involving U.S. allies.
Amal Clooney is a high profile human rights lawyer (Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images)
In a recent Financial Times report, it was revealed that the UK government has issued warnings to British lawyers, cautioning them about the possibility of facing sanctions in the United States.
These warnings, reportedly sent by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, are aimed at senior legal professionals involved in the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) ongoing war crimes investigation into Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The UK’s alert follows a controversial executive order signed by former President Donald Trump in February. The order targets individuals working with the ICC in cases involving U.S. personnel or close allies, specifically singling out efforts to prosecute Netanyahu.
What does Trump’s ICC executive order say?
The executive order accuses the ICC of “engaging in illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel,” signaling a hardline stance against international legal actions that challenge U.S. or Israeli leaders.
George and Amal Clooney have been married for over a decade (Jacopo Raule/GC Images)
The executive order further states: “The ICC has, without a legitimate basis, asserted jurisdiction over and opened preliminary investigations concerning personnel of the United States and certain of its allies, including Israel, and has further abused its power by issuing baseless arrest warrants targeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant.”
It continues with a stark warning, threatening to “impose tangible and significant consequences on those responsible for the ICC’s transgressions,” including the potential “blocking of property and assets, as well as the suspension of entry into the United States of ICC officials, employees, and agents, as well as their immediate family members.”
This sweeping scope raises questions about whether Amal Clooney could be personally affected, given her alleged advisory role in the ICC’s investigation. Although the Clooneys primarily reside in France, they are currently living in New York while George stars in the Broadway production of Good Night, and Good Luck.
ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan is among the individuals directly named in the executive order as facing sanctions, underscoring the seriousness with which the Trump administration views involvement in the case against Israel.
