Trump enacted a decree empowering nations to mete out penalties against individuals who unlawfully imprison U.S. citizens.

In a move aimed at protecting American citizens abroad, the U.S. State Department has announced a new initiative. The purpose of this initiative is to punish nations that use detained Americans as political leverage.

The initiative, which is modelled after the mechanism for designating state sponsors of terrorism, will provide the State Department with tools such as sanctions, export controls, and travel restrictions for citizens of designated countries. These tools will be used against countries that unlawfully detain U.S. citizens.

According to reports by Reform.news, unlawful detentions are noted as a risk for travelers in several countries, including Iran, Afghanistan, Russia, Venezuela, North Korea, and Belarus. In fact, at least 54 U.S. citizens were held as hostages or unlawfully detained in 17 countries in 2024, although the U.S. government does not disclose the number of Americans detained abroad.

The State Department currently issues travel advisories with four risk levels for Americans planning international trips, with "Level 4: Do Not Travel" being the highest. Twenty-one countries, including Belarus, are on the list of countries with a Level 4 advisory.

In a statement, a senior administration official said that these tools will be used to sanction countries that unjustly detain American citizens abroad and use them as political leverage. However, the information does not specify particular countries targeted, only that these are governments and entities misusing detention as a geopolitical pressure tactic.

President Trump has also weighed in on the issue, stating that he is negotiating with Lukashenko to free some of the 1400 political prisoners in Belarus. He has also stated that there are no plans for Washington to prepare to overthrow Maduro in Venezuela, despite ongoing political instability in the country.

Trump has also vowed a response to the EU's $3.5 billion fine against Google, although it is unclear how this issue relates to the new initiative.

The U.S. government is planning to implement this initiative to reduce travel to certain countries and ensure the safety and security of American citizens abroad. It remains to be seen how this initiative will be enforced and what impact it will have on the countries targeted.