The Countering Wrongful Detention Act of 2025 provided statutory authority for the executive order designation framework President Trump signed in September 2025. It authorized the Secretary of State to designate countries as sponsors of wrongful detention and to impose a menu of penalties including economic sanctions, export controls, and visa restrictions. The law represents a congressional decision to give the executive branch new unilateral foreign policy tools for hostage cases without requiring country-specific legislation for each designation.