---
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"
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 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.)