President Joe Biden signed an executive order that aims to improve the process of bringing home wrongfully detained Americans abroad, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a press briefing on July 19.

The executive order also introduces a new travel risk indicator to inform traveling Americans of the risk of wrongful detentions by a foreign government, according to a White House fact sheet.

“Today’s executive order signed gives the U.S. government a new tool to deter and disrupt hostage-taking and wrongful detentions,” Price said in a July 19 Tweet. “We strongly oppose wrongful detentions, including the detention of U.S. nationals for use as political bargaining chips.”

The executive order, entitled “Bolstering Efforts to Bring Hostages and Wrongfully Detained United States Nationals Home,” was designed to improve efforts to free wrongfully detained Americans abroad. The fact sheet reported that it draws on the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act of 2020.

Agencies received authorization to impose costs and consequences, such as financial sanctions, on those involved in wrongfully holding Americans, according to the fact sheet. It also ensures that relevant parts of the U.S. government share information with the families of wrongfully detained loved ones regarding their status and government efforts to secure their release.

A new travel risk indicator will be included in the State Department's Travel Advisories, the “D” indicator. The fact sheet reported that designation is meant to inform traveling Americans about the risk of wrongful detentions in a given country. This indicator joins the existing “K” indicator, which warns about the risk of kidnapping and hostage situations.