The Trump administration has imposed travel bans and asset freezes on several of the court's judges and prosecutors, partly in light of the court's arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to the lawsuit, which was filed in a New York court, the sanctions pose a threat to justice and democracy.
“An illegal abuse of power and a direct attack on the principles of the rule of law,” the application states. The US sanctions have caused “severe and profound harm,” the groups further write.
Both the UN and the EU have previously urged Trump to lift sanctions against the ICC.
