This executive order was passed to strengthen efforts to protect U.S. nationals from wrongful detention abroad. It allows the secretary of state to designate a foreign country as a state sponsor of wrongful detention based upon (a) the wrongful detention of a U.S. national; (b) failing to release a wrongfully detained U.S. national, or (c) being complicit in, or materially supporting, the wrongful detention of a U.S. national or of a third country national in which case the United States has a national interest. The secretary of state is allowed to impose sanctions upon state sponsors of wrongful detention, including economic sanctions, visa restrictions, foreign assistance restrictions and restrictions on travel to the designated country by U.S. citizens.