U.S. Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day, 2026

This proclamation declares March 9, 2026, as U.S. Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day, recognizing Americans held hostage or wrongfully detained and commemorating the 47th anniversary of the 1979 Iran hostage crisis. It highlights that the administration secured the release of 101 detained Americans in one year, brokered a deal to free hostages from Israel and Gaza, facilitated releases from Venezuela, Afghanistan, Russia, and Belarus, and states that an Executive Order now permits the Secretary of State to designate State Sponsors of Wrongful Detention and impose sanctions, travel restrictions, and inadmissibility on designated foreign nationals.