Urgent: These Two Bills Must Never Become Law

The 119th Congress is only a few days old, and already it is taking aim at some of the critical human rights protections that keep our world secure. 

Bill #1: The “Illegitimate Court Counteraction” Act

On January 9, 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to sanction officials with the International Criminal Court (ICC): a global tribunal that offers an essential pathway for accountability and redress for survivors of atrocities. 

If taken up in the Senate and enacted, the ICC bill could dangerously undermine the Court’s efforts to secure justice—which, indeed, is precisely the point. The bill is largely intended as retaliation for the Court’s willingness to investigate Israel’s war crimes in Gaza. 

Apart from its chilling effect on the Court, the bill would also stifle civil society across the globe. Any human rights organization that works with or supports the ICC could be accused of collaborating with a sanctioned entity—or even directly sanctioned itself. This would include UUSC and many of our partners. 

Bill #2: The Laken Riley Act

Don’t let the name fool you. This inaccurately-titled bill is a Trojan Horse for an extreme right-wing makeover of U.S. policy. 

Co-sponsors of his bill—which recently passed the House and appears destined for a vote in the Senate—have tried to portray it as a response to crime, cynically appropriating the name of a murdered nursing student in Georgia to disguise the bill’s true intentions. 

In reality, the bill—in its current form—would radically overhaul the U.S. immigration system, empower right-wing state governments to dictate policy for the whole country, and undermine what few due process safeguards people in migration still have from detention. 

Help us stop these cruel and misguided bills from ever becoming law. It’s too late to block them in the House, but we can still ensure they never get through the Senate. Write your senators today to let them know: We do not support laws designed to undermine human rights. 

Start by entering your information below so we can deliver your messages. When you hit “submit” on each action, you will see a template message to your U.S. senators for each bill, which you can personalize before sending. 

Please Oppose the So-Called “Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act” (H.R.23)

Please Vote No on the Laken Riley Act (S.5)