---
kind: "section"
citation: "6 U.S.C. § 241"
title: "6"
title_heading: "Domestic Security"
number: "241"
heading: "Prevention of international child abduction"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/6/241"
units:
  - "Chapter 1 — Homeland Security Organization"
  - "Subchapter IV — Border, Maritime, and Transportation Security"
  - "Part C — Miscellaneous Provisions"
---

# §241. Prevention of international child abduction

- (a) **Program established—** The [Secretary](/usc/6/101.md?p=16), through the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (referred to in this section as “CBP”), in coordination with the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, and the [Director](/usc/6/677a.md?p=3) of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, shall establish a program that—
  - (1) seeks to prevent a child (as defined in [section 1204(b)(1) of title 18](/usc/18/1204.md?p=b-1)) from departing from the territory of the [United States](/usc/6/101.md?p=19-A) if a parent or legal guardian of such child presents a court order from a court of competent jurisdiction prohibiting the removal of such child from the [United States](/usc/6/101.md?p=19-A) to a CBP Officer in sufficient time to prevent such departure for the duration of such court order; and
  - (2) leverages other existing authorities and processes to address the wrongful removal and return of a child.
- (b) **Interagency coordination—**
  - (1) **In general—** The Secretary of State shall convene and chair an interagency working group to prevent international parental child abduction. The group shall be composed of presidentially appointed, Senate confirmed officials from—
    - (A) the Department of State;
    - (B) the [Department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5) of [Homeland](/usc/6/101.md?p=1) Security, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and
    - (C) the [Department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5) of Justice, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
  - (2) **Department of Defense—** The [Secretary](/usc/6/101.md?p=16) of Defense shall designate an official within the [Department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5) of Defense—
    - (A) to coordinate with the Department of State on international child abduction issues; and
    - (B) to oversee activities designed to prevent or resolve international child abduction cases relating to active duty military service members.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 107–296, title IV, § 433, as added Pub. L. 113–150, title III, § 301(a), Aug. 8, 2014, 128 Stat. 1822.)