A federal judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from enforcing sanctions against Francesa Albanese, a United Nations human rights investigator whose recent work has focused on the Israeli military campaign against Hamas in Gaza.
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon found the Trump administration likely violated Albanese’s First Amendment rights when it imposed sanctions on her in July 2025 because the measures appeared to directly target her speech criticizing Israel.
The State Department did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment but previously defended the sanctions as “legal and appropriate.”
“The United States will continue to condemn and oppose her biased and malicious activities, which have long made her unfit for her role,” a spokesperson said in February. “This lawsuit itself is baseless lawfare, and Albanese is a disgrace.”
