WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Chris Coons (D-Del.), a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, along with Representatives Haley Stevens (D-Mich.), and French Hill (R-Ark.), celebrated President Biden signing their Countering Wrongful Detention Act into law last week. The Countering Wrongful Detention Act creates new tools for the U.S. government to deter states from wrongfully detaining Americans abroad and supports hostages, wrongful detainees, and their families upon their return home. The bill was passed as part of the fiscal year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that President Biden signed into law on Monday.
“Protecting Americans abroad is an important responsibility of the U.S. government,” said Senator Risch. “Unfortunately, pariahs like Russia, China, Iran, Venezuela, Syria, and others choose to take Americans and others hostage to leverage them for political or financial gain. The United States must create a more effective deterrent to preventing the wrongful detention of Americans abroad. The Countering Wrongful Detention Act creates that deterrence by naming and shaming those who wrongfully detain Americans and tasks the executive branch with creating a strategy to reduce the likelihood of U.S. nationals being unlawfully or wrongfully detained in the future. It is time we put those who wish to do America and its citizens harm on notice. This bill will help us do that and I’m glad to see it become law.”
“President Biden’s enactment of the Countering Wrongful Detention Act is a fitting capstone for his administration’s successful work bringing more than 70 Americans who were wrongfully detained or held hostage overseas safely home,” said Senator Coons. “As we continue our efforts to return every American held unjustly overseas, we must do more to deter this abhorrent practice from taking place at all and provide additional support for families while their loved ones are wrongfully detained. The enactment of this law is a critical step in that direction, and I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues to ensure Americans are safer as they travel the world.”
“The increasing instance of hostage taking by rogue states and bad actors puts Americans traveling overseas at risk,” said Representative Stevens. “In light of the target on Americans’ backs, I’m glad a number of the provisions I authored as part of the Countering Wrongful Detention Act were just signed into law by President Biden as part of the National Defense Authorization Act. This much needed legislation will make it easier for the U.S. government to advocate for the release of hostages and those wrongfully detained, improve travel safety by advising against visiting to regions where hostage-taking is common, and enhance much needed funding for sanctions to deter such actions. For all the Americans wrongfully detained, know we are doing all we can to get you home.”
“We must deter the strong target that is on the backs of blue passport holders,” said Representative Hill. “I am proud that the Countering Wrongful Detention Act was signed into law as a part of this year’s NDAA. This legislation is much needed as it provides the State Department with critical resources to counter this despicable practice of taking and holding an American against their will. As Co-Chair of the Hostage Task Force in the House, I will not stop fighting for all American hostages and wrongful detainees and am pleased that this bill is now law.”
Among other provisions, the bill requires an administration strategy on how to deter and counter wrongful detention; authorizes increased funding to the Departments of State and the Treasury to carry out sanctions related to wrongful detention; and enhances public awareness of travel advisories for high-risk countries. The bill also includes the Privacy Act Waiver form in the U.S. passport application process so that Americans traveling internationally can proactively decide to permit the U.S. government to advocate on their behalf should they be detained by a foreign government. It also establishes timelines for the Secretary of State and relevant Department of State offices to make timely wrongful detention determinations and report on their findings.
The Countering Wrongful Detention Act seeks to empower the U.S. government with tools to deter hostage diplomacy and support U.S. wrongful detainees and their families, including:
Senators Coons and Risch introduced the bill last month. It has been endorsed by New America’s Future Security, the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation, Bring Our Families Home Campaign, and Hostage US.
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