Trump Moves Against Hostage Tactics
New Order Aims to Deter American Detentions
Washington: President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order on September 5 aimed at bolstering protections for U.S. nationals facing wrongful detention overseas, a practice that has escalated in recent years amid geopolitical tensions.
The measure, titled “Strengthening Efforts to Protect U.S. Nationals from Wrongful Detention Abroad,” expands on the 2020 Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act and introduces a formal designation process for countries or entities involved in such actions.
In a press statement released from the Office of the Spokesperson, Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the order as taking “unprecedented action to impose new consequences” on those responsible. Designated actors could encounter economic sanctions under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, visa restrictions coordinated with the Department of Homeland Security, limitations on foreign assistance, and geographic travel restrictions on U.S. passports.
Rubio likened the new “State Sponsors of Wrongful Detention” label to the longstanding State Sponsors of Terrorism determination, noting that “no nation should want to end up on this list.” He emphasised, “The bottom line: Anyone who uses an American as a bargaining chip will pay the price,” adding that the administration is “not only putting America first but also putting Americans first.”
The order’s purpose section underscores the U.S. resolve to deploy all tools against wrongful detentions, which it portrays as assaults on sovereignty and the rule of law. It authorises the Secretary of State to designate a foreign country or territory-controlling entity if a U.S. national is wrongfully held there, if release demands go unmet after notification, or if the government provides complicity or support for such detentions affecting U.S. interests. Responses to designations include export controls on arms and sensitive goods, inadmissibility for involved individuals under the Immigration and Nationality Act, and reviews of aid under relevant appropriations. Designations can terminate if detainees are freed, policy shifts occur, and assurances against recurrence are given.
This framework emerges against a backdrop of growing incidents, tracked by groups like the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation, which reported 54 Americans wrongfully detained or held hostage in 17 countries during 2024 alone, down slightly from peaks but still elevated.
Historical patterns trace back to the 2010s, when nations such as Russia, China, Iran, and Venezuela began leveraging detentions for diplomatic leverage. In Russia, cases like those of former Marine Paul Whelan, arrested in 2018 on espionage charges, corporate executive Michael McFaul-era detainees, and more recent ones, including journalist Evan Gershkovich in 2023, have drawn scrutiny for lacking due process. China has employed exit bans and arbitrary arrests, affecting businesspeople and academics amid trade disputes, with at least a dozen U.S. nationals allegedly designated wrongful by the State Department since 2018. Iran has long used hostage-taking, detaining over 20 Americans since 1979, often dual nationals, as bargaining tools in nuclear talks. Venezuela added to the tally with opposition figures and U.S. oil executives held since 2017.
Administration officials pointed to a disparity in outcomes: during the prior Joe Biden administration, 24 more Americans were wrongfully detained than rescued, per their accounting. Since Trump’s January 2025 inauguration, 72 have been freed, including teacher Marc Fogel after over three years in Russia in February, ballet dancer Ksenia Karelina after 14 months in a Russian penal colony in April, hostage Keith Siegel held 484 days by Hamas and released in February, Afghan aid workers George Glezmann after 836 days by the Taliban in March alongside Ryan Corbett and William McKenty on inauguration night, and dual U.S.-Israeli citizen Edan Alexander after 584 days with Hamas in July. These releases involved negotiations with Russia, Hamas, and the Taliban, highlighting persistent hotspots.
While the order avoids naming specific countries, its criteria align closely with ongoing issues in Russia and China, where U.S. officials have flagged espionage accusations and exit bans as pretexts for coercion. Iran-backed groups like Hamas and the Taliban in Afghanistan also fit the profile, as do Venezuelan authorities. Broader analyses, such as those from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, note that Russia alone has “wrongfully” detained at least three high-profile Americans in recent years — Whelan, Trevor Reed, and Brittney Griner — often in swaps that included Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. The Foley Foundation’s 2023 report indicated a dip in overall numbers to around 40 from 2022 highs, yet state actors like China, Iran, and Russia accounted for the majority, with 10 new cases since early 2023 in those nations plus Pakistan and Venezuela.
As of September 6, no official responses have surfaced from Russian or Chinese authorities to the order, signed just a day prior. Past patterns suggest muted reactions [Update: Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said on September 8, 2025, in Beijing that “There is no so-called issue of ‘wrongful detention’ in China. It is well known that wrongful detention, arbitrary detention, coercive diplomacy, long-arm jurisdiction and unilateral sanctions are among the U.S.’s favourite tools. Let me stress that China will, as always, welcome people and businesses of all countries to travel and do business in China, and we will protect their safety, security and lawful rights and interests in China in accordance with the law.”]; Russia has persisted with detentions despite earlier sanctions, and China has rejected U.S. characterisations as meddling in internal affairs.
The measure’s effectiveness may hinge on coordinated international pressure, given that prisoner swaps have resolved about two-thirds of cases since 2014, according to foundation data, though they sometimes involve controversial concessions.
The State Department has not yet announced initial designations, but the order signals a shift toward proactive deterrence in an era where at least 64 Americans remain publicly known to be held abroad.
– global bihari bureau
