This bill prevents state and local police from arresting foreign nationals in the United States based solely on arrest warrants, indictments, or requests from the International Criminal Court (ICC). Right now, if the ICC issues a warrant for someone, local cops could potentially act on it. This bill says they can't—only the federal government can make that decision.

The bill's supporters argue that the U.S. isn't even a member of the ICC, so state and local police shouldn't be enforcing its orders without explicit permission from Congress or the President. They worry that local enforcement of ICC warrants could interfere with U.S. foreign policy and violate constitutional principles about federal control over international relations. The bill does include two exceptions: Congress could pass a law authorizing cooperation in a specific case, or the President could certify that cooperating with the ICC is necessary for national security and issue a written order to do so.

In practical terms, this means if someone wanted by the ICC is living in the U.S., local police would need federal approval before they could arrest that person based on an ICC warrant. The bill also prevents state and local governments from using their resources, money, or personnel to help the ICC carry out arrests or investigations.