Trump signs order to punish countries that unjustly detain US citizens

September 6, 2025

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order aimed at punishing countries that wrongfully detain American citizens. The order empowers the State Department to create a "state sponsor of wrongful detention" designation, which could result in economic sanctions, visa restrictions, and other penalties against offending nations. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described this as an "unprecedented action" modeled after the state sponsor of terrorism classification.

Who is affected

American citizens who are wrongfully detained abroad
The 54 Americans currently wrongfully detained in 17 countries (as reported by the Foley Foundation)
Countries that wrongfully detain US citizens
Non-state actors controlling significant territory who detain Americans
The US State Department (which gains new powers)

What action is being taken

President Trump is signing an executive order to punish countries that illegally detain US citizens
The State Department is being empowered to create a "state sponsor of wrongful detention" designation
The US government is preparing to impose sanctions and other measures against offending countries
The Trump administration is implementing a system modeled after the state sponsor of terrorism classification

Why it matters

The executive order provides new tools to secure the release of wrongfully detained Americans
It establishes consequences for nations using Americans as "bargaining chips"
The order addresses a significant issue as wrongful detentions account for 83% of Americans detained abroad
It builds upon the Robert Levinson Act, which already allows the State Department to determine when an American is wrongfully detained
The White House reports the president has already secured the release of 72 American detainees

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: BBC