Bolstering Efforts To Bring Hostages and Wrongfully Detained United States Nationals Home
Executive Order 14078, signed July 19, 2022, bolsters and coordinates the U.S. government’s efforts to secure the release of United States nationals held hostage abroad or wrongly detained. Building on previous frameworks (EO 13698 and PPAD-30), the order reaffirms and strengthens interagency coordination, family engagement, and diplomatic tools, while expanding the use of sanctions and other authorities to deter hostage-taking and wrongful detention. It formalizes roles for key groups (the Hostage Recovery Group, the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell, and the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs) and directs the administration to identify policies and measures to prevent future detentions as well as to deter those who participate in such acts. The order authorizes a broad toolkit—property sanctions, visa and entry restrictions, and other IEEPA-based authorities—against individuals and entities deemed responsible for hostage-taking or wrongful detention, and requires regular reporting to Congress. It also emphasizes timely information sharing with families and coordination across agencies to ensure a coherent, compassionate, and effective response for affected Americans.
Key Points
- 1Continued and reinforced interagency framework: EO 13698 (Hostage Recovery Activities) and PPD-30 remain in effect, with the Hostage Recovery Group (HRG), Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell (HRFC), and Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs (SPEHA) maintaining defined roles to coordinate hostage recovery and wrongful detention efforts.
- 2Interagency coordination and family engagement: The HRG coordinates policy options, strategies, and regular updates to the President; SPEHA reports to the Secretary of State and coordinates diplomacy, information sharing, and family support in wrongful detention cases.
- 3Sanctions and designation authority: The Secretary of State can designate foreign officials and entities involved in hostage-taking or wrongful detention (consistent with law and Public Law 117-103), enabling targeted property blocks and sanctions.
- 4Economic and visa tools: The order blocks property and restricts transactions with designated persons, and imposes restrictions on entry of certain foreign nationals deemed detrimental to U.S. interests, with procedures for waivers based on national security or law-enforcement objectives.
- 5Definitions and scope: The order provides clear definitions for terms like hostage-taking, wrongful detention, foreign person, United States national, and United States person, and outlines how the order interacts with existing authorities. It also calls for annual or regular reporting to Congress on the national emergency and related activities.