Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) said Tuesday on CBS’s “The Takeout” that the United States should not permit individuals facing International Criminal Court arrest warrants to remain freely within American jurisdiction. He argued the issue does not pose a threat to Americans, saying, “They don’t have any American arrest warrants. This is not talking about Americans who are subject to our own law.” Khanna described the position as a consistent standard under international law, adding that he would apply it equally to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Discussing Netanyahu specifically, Khanna said his stance mirrors his view of Putin. “If you have a warrant for your arrest by the ICC, and you’re coming here — not to the U.N., because the U.N. has its own rules — but you’re coming to the United States, then you should be arrested,” he said. “We should not allow people in our jurisdiction who have an arrest warrant by the ICC.”
Khanna also addressed concerns about how such a policy might affect U.S. citizens. “People say, what about Americans?” he said. “They don’t have any American arrest warrants. This is not talking about Americans who are subject to our own law.” He reiterated that the principle should be applied across the board, saying it would cover Putin just as it would cover Netanyahu.
