The Treasury Department reimposed sanctions against Francesca Albanese, the U.N. special rapporteur on Palestinian territories, on May 28, 2026, just one week after she was removed from a federal sanctions list. The Office of Foreign Asset Control added Albanese to its specially designated nationals list under sanctions related to the International Criminal Court, which freezes any U.S.-linked assets and bars Americans and U.S. entities from conducting business with her.
Albanese, an Italian human rights lawyer, was first sanctioned by the Trump administration in July 2025. At that time, Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused her of waging political and economic warfare against the United States and Israel by encouraging ICC investigations of Israeli and U.S. officials. The sanctions became a point of contention in discussions regarding free speech, U.S. support for Israel, and the independence of international institutions.
Earlier this month, a federal judge blocked the enforcement of the sanctions, arguing that Albanese's actions and statements, as she does not work for the ICC, are protected under the First Amendment. This led to her temporary removal from the sanctions database while the administration pursued an appeal. The reimposition of sanctions limits Albanese's access to U.S. financial systems and complicates her personal finances, as noted in her lawsuit against the Trump administration. Albanese has faced criticism from pro-Israel groups and Trump administration officials for her statements regarding Israel's actions in Gaza and her support for accountability efforts at the ICC.
