Senate Democrats are escalating pressure on the Trump administration to secure the release of at least six American citizens still held in Russia, following Moscow's release of U.S. citizen Robert Gilman on Tuesday after four and a half years in detention.
In a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also serves as national security adviser, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and 15 colleagues expressed concern that the administration is not fully employing the tools Congress has provided to win the freedom of these detainees. They noted that only one of the six is officially designated as "wrongfully detained," a status that unlocks additional government resources and advocacy efforts.
The lawmakers specifically pointed to the Levinson Act, which they argue would "maximize U.S. government coordination and advance negotiations to ensure their swift release, as well as provide needed resources to the families as they advocate for their loved ones." They called on the administration to engage in direct negotiations with Russia over these cases, separate from the stalled efforts to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine.
"We are deeply concerned that tying the fate of these Americans and their families to broader issues in the U.S.-Russia relationship and deferring their designation as wrongful detainees merely prolongs their hardship," the senators wrote.
The six Americans detained in Russia include Stephen Hubbard, 74, who has been held since April 2, 2022, and was designated as a wrongful detainee in January 2025. The other five are classified as "cases of concern": Andre Khachatoorian (detained for 1,688 days), David Barnes (1,671 days), Olga Jezler (1,506 days), Alexsandr Antonov (524 days), and Chuck Zimmerman (420 days).
President Trump announced on Truth Social that Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to release Gilman on humanitarian grounds, emphasizing that no prisoner exchange was made. This development comes amid broader tensions in U.S.-Russia relations, as seen in recent releases of U.S. detainees without swaps.
The Foley Foundation, a nonprofit advocating for hostages and wrongfully detained Americans, reported a 163% increase in such cases between 2015 and 2025. While 2025 was described as a "strong year for the release of Americans unjustly held overseas," the foundation noted that new cases continue to emerge in countries like Afghanistan and Venezuela.
According to the Foley Foundation, two wrongfully detained Americans were released from Russia in 2025, but at least six remain unjustly detained, with one new case arising that year. The organization currently tracks 40 publicly disclosed hostage and wrongful detention cases globally.
The Democratic letter underscores a growing bipartisan push for more aggressive action on detained Americans, with some lawmakers pressing for stronger sanctions on Russia as leverage. The administration has yet to respond publicly to the senators' demands.
