Countering Wrongful Detention Act of 2025

This bill aims to protect Americans from being jailed abroad for political leverage and to improve help for hostages and their families. It lets the State Department label a foreign country as a “State Sponsor of Unlawful or Wrongful Detention” when there’s evidence it holds Americans without cause, won’t release them after being notified, supports such detentions, or poses a serious risk through state or non-state actors. The label can be removed if the country frees detainees, helps free hostages, or changes policies and provides assurances. The State Department must brief Congress, publish a public list of designated countries, and review tools like sanctions, visa limits, travel limits, foreign aid restrictions, and export controls to pressure those governments .

When you buy an airline ticket in the U.S. to a place with certain State Department travel warnings (including wrongful detention or hostage risks), you would have to confirm you read the advisory and understand the risks. This bill also creates an advisory council of former detainees, hostages, families, and experts to advise the government and report yearly, and it requires a report to Congress on how current hostage-recovery teams are organized and how to improve services and support for families .

• Who is affected: Americans traveling abroad; families of detainees/hostages; airlines and ticket agents; foreign governments that hold Americans for leverage .
• What changes: New country designation with public listing and pressure tools; traveler certification on high-risk routes; new advisory council; required briefings and reports to strengthen response and services .
• When: Briefings start within 60 days; a major report is due within 180 days; annual briefings continue for five years; the advisory council reports yearly and ends after 10 years .