Trump creates blacklist for countries detaining Americans – TRT Global
Washington, Sept. 6, 2025 — President Donald Trump has signed a new executive order aimed at punishing countries that illegally detain U.S. citizens. The move introduces a new designation called “state sponsor of wrongful detention”, allowing the U.S. government to blacklist nations and impose sanctions.
The order gives Secretary of State Marco Rubio the power to apply penalties such as visa bans, asset freezes, and other sanctions. A senior administration official said the message is clear: “You will not use Americans as bargaining chips.”
Why This Matters
The U.S. government does not release exact numbers, but the Foley Foundation’s 2024 report confirmed that at least 54 Americans were wrongfully detained or held hostage across 17 countries, including Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, and Venezuela.
Paul Whelan, who spent over five years in Russian custody before his release in 2024, welcomed the order but stressed it must be enforced strongly. He also urged the U.S. to compensate former hostages using frozen assets from hostile regimes.
How This Order Compares
This isn’t the first time Washington has taken action. In 2022, President Biden declared wrongful detention a national emergency, allowing sanctions and visa bans on individuals involved. The State Department also began marking risky countries with a “D” indicator on travel advisories to warn Americans.
Trump’s order goes further by targeting not only governments but also countries that allow terrorist groups or non-state actors to hold U.S. citizens hostage. Officials hinted that additional steps, including restricting travel to high-risk nations, may follow—similar to the 2017 ban on travel to North Korea after the tragic death of American student Otto Warmbier.
A second senior official explained: “You don’t have to be funding groups like Hamas or Al Qaeda. If you exploit our citizens, you’ll face consequences.”
Bottom Line
The executive order is designed to deter hostile governments and rogue regimes from using Americans as leverage. Whether it proves effective will depend on how strictly it’s enforced in the coming months.
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