President Donald Trump has issued an executive order authorizing tough measures against countries that unlawfully detain U.S. citizens.
The order creates a new “state sponsor of wrongful detention” designation, empowering the State Department to impose sanctions, restrict visas, limit foreign aid, and take other punitive actions. The White House said the move is meant to “protect U.S. nationals from wrongful detention abroad by authorizing robust responses against foreign governments engaging in such practices.”
Although the U.S. does not release official figures, the Foley Foundation, an advocacy group, reported that at least 54 Americans were wrongfully detained across 17 countries in 2024.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio hailed the order as an “unprecedented action” that mirrors the state sponsor of terrorism designation, warning that “no nation should want to end up on this list.” He added: “Anyone who uses an American as a bargaining chip will pay the price.”
The order extends beyond governments, applying also to non-state actors that control territory but lack international recognition. However, the administration has not announced when it will begin enforcing the new measures.
The State Department emphasized that most arrests of U.S. nationals abroad stem from legitimate law enforcement, not political motivations. Still, the White House said Trump has already helped secure the release of 72 wrongfully detained Americans, including Marc Fogel, a teacher imprisoned in Russia, and George Glezmann, who was held by the Taliban for over two years.
The Foley Foundation—founded in memory of journalist James Foley, killed by ISIS—reported in 2024 that wrongful detentions made up 83% of all American detentions overseas.
During Trump’s first term, Congress passed the Robert Levinson Act, granting the State Department authority to determine whether an American is being wrongfully detained based on factors such as judicial fairness and evidence of political coercion.
