NEW JERSEY — The White House weighed in this week as New Jersey prepares to observe its first Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day, bringing renewed attention to Americans held overseas and the case of missing FBI agent Robert Levinson.
The observance, set for March 9, was established earlier this year through resolutions sponsored by Assemblyman Michael Inganamort and Sen. Parker Space. The day is intended to honor Americans who are being held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad and the families who continue to seek answers.
“President Trump has been clear that he wants every American wrongfully detained to be returned home safe and sound, and that there will be dire consequences for regimes who treat Americans as political pawns,” said White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly Thursday.
Inganamort said the White House response highlights the growing national attention on Americans held overseas.
“When the White House joins this conversation, it sends a powerful message that these families are not forgotten,” Inganamort said (R-Morris). “New Jersey is proud to lead the nation in recognizing Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day, and we will keep pushing until every American held abroad is brought home.”
The date of the observance was chosen to recognize Robert Levinson, a retired FBI agent and private investigator who disappeared in Iran in 2007 while working on a CIA-related mission. Levinson is believed to be the longest-held American hostage in history.
One of Levinson’s daughters, Sarah Levinson, lives in Inganamort’s legislative district and helped advocate for the state recognition. New Jersey became the first state in the nation to formally recognize the day and fly the Hostage and Wrongful Detainee flag.
As of late 2025, the U.S. government believes nearly 50 Americans are being held hostage or wrongfully detained in at least 13 countries.
New Jersey officials plan to fly the flag over the Statehouse on Monday in observance of the day.
