Why It Matters

A newly updated Congressional Research Service report, published July 23, documents a significant shift in how the Trump administration is using one of the U.S. government's principal human rights and anti-corruption sanctions authorities. The findings raise questions about the consistency and credibility of a targeted sanctions program that has grown to encompass 257 individuals and 326 entities across more than 50 countries.

The Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act authorizes the President to impose economic sanctions and deny U.S. entry to foreign nationals identified as engaging in human rights violations or corruption. But recent enforcement patterns suggest a notable departure from how the sanctions program was used during previous administrations, according to the updated CRS report.

The Global Magnitsky Act represents a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy intended to hold accountable individuals responsible for serious human rights abuses and significant corruption. The statute's credibility depends on its consistent application across administrations and geopolitical contexts.

The CRS report documents a sharp decline in Global Magnitsky sanctions activity. In 2025, the administration designated only seven individuals and entities under Executive Order 13818, compared with 70 in 2024. Four of those seven 2025 designations were later terminated. According to CRS, the administration's remaining active 2025 designations consisted of September sanctions targeting human rights abuses at scam center compounds in Southeast Asia.

The report also highlights which sanctions were lifted. The administration terminated sanctions imposed on a former Hungarian official, a former president of Paraguay and an associated entity, and a Brazilian Federal Supreme Court justice. CRS notes that the sanctions against the Hungarian official were removed after Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated the designation was "inconsistent with U.S. foreign policy interests." The Brazilian sanctions were later terminated, reportedly on similar foreign policy grounds.

The pattern differs from prior practice. During both the first Trump and Biden administrations, the executive branch generally announced Global Magnitsky sanctions throughout the year, with larger tranches often released on International Anti-Corruption Day, Dec. 9, and Human Rights Day, Dec. 10. CRS notes that no Global Magnitsky sanctions were announced in connection with either observance in 2025.

The Big Picture

The Global Magnitsky Act traces its origins to the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2012, which applied only to Russia. Sergei Magnitsky was a Russian tax lawyer who exposed government corruption, was arrested in 2008 and died in prison in 2009. Congress expanded the sanctions authority globally through the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act in 2016.

The law, codified at 22 U.S.C. §10101 et seq., authorizes the President to deny entry into the United States, revoke visas, block property subject to U.S. jurisdiction and prohibit U.S. persons from engaging in transactions with foreign persons responsible for extrajudicial killings, torture or other gross violations of internationally recognized human rights. It also applies to foreign government officials responsible for significant corruption, including bribery, expropriation of assets for personal gain, corruption involving government contracts or natural resources and the offshore concealment of illicit proceeds.

President Donald Trump issued Executive Order 13818 in December 2017 to implement the law. The order invokes the Global Magnitsky Act together with the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the National Emergencies Act. As CRS notes, the executive order adopts broader language than the statute itself by authorizing sanctions for "serious human rights abuse" rather than the statute's narrower standard of "gross violations of internationally recognized human rights" against specified categories of victims.

The statute requires the President to consider information submitted jointly by the chair and ranking member of specified congressional committees, as well as credible information from foreign governments and nongovernmental human rights organizations. Section 1263(d) of the Global Magnitsky Act requires the President to respond within 120 days to qualifying congressional requests to determine whether a foreign person has engaged in sanctionable conduct.

Some Members of Congress have argued the administration failed to provide the advance justification to Congress required before terminating sanctions under 22 U.S.C. §10102(g). Senators Shaheen, Kaine, and Warren criticized the administration's failure to provide required advance notice for Global Magnitsky sanctions terminations.

Congress permanently reauthorized the Global Magnitsky Act through Section 6 of P.L. 117-110 in April 2022, eliminating the original sunset provision. The President also renewed the national emergency underlying Executive Order 13818 in December 2025.

Political Stakes

The change in enforcement presents a challenge for Congress and raises broader questions about U.S. credibility on human rights and anti-corruption policy. The Treasury Department administers Global Magnitsky economic sanctions through the Office of Foreign Assets Control, while the State Department implements visa sanctions. Executive Order 13818 delegates sanctions determinations to the Treasury secretary, in consultation with the secretary of state and the attorney general.

Human rights and anti-corruption organizations have argued that the terminations of sanctions against the Hungarian official, Brazilian justice and Paraguayan former president appeared intended to support President Trump's foreign political allies and have the effect of undermining the credibility of Global Magnitsky and other U.S. sanctions.

The administration's approach also contrasts with its earlier use of the law. During President Trump's first term, the administration imposed Global Magnitsky sanctions on Saudi officials in connection with the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

The Global Magnitsky Act permits the President to terminate sanctions under specified circumstances, including when a sanctioned person has been appropriately prosecuted, has demonstrated a significant change in behavior or when termination serves U.S. national security interests.

The timing is also notable. The absence of Global Magnitsky sanctions announcements on International Anti-Corruption Day or Human Rights Day in 2025, after those observances had routinely been used for major designation announcements under previous administrations, may signal a reduced emphasis on the sanctions program. CRS also notes that the Treasury Department has historically issued detailed press releases explaining new designations.

The Bottom Line

The updated CRS report documents a substantial decline in the use of Global Magnitsky sanctions during 2025, coupled with several high-profile sanctions terminations that have drawn congressional scrutiny and criticism from human rights organizations. Whether the administration's approach reflects a broader shift in sanctions policy is likely to remain a subject of congressional oversight.

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