Feinstein, Tillis Continue Bipartisan Push to Combat International Parental Child Abduction

Washington-Today Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) continued their efforts to combat International Parental Child Abduction (IPCA) by sending a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland requesting specific statistics about prosecutions and the use of extradition in IPCA cases at DOJ, and other efforts on IPCA.

In May, Feinstein and Tillis sent a letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) requesting Attorney General Garland help in addressing international parental child abduction and received a response from the DOJ committing to "vigorously securing the extradition and prosecution of individuals who violate our law by absconding with a child to a foreign country or unlawfully retaining a child abroad."

The senators sent a follow-up today seeking additional information regarding the scope of extradition and prosecution of cases under the International Parental Kidnapping Crime Act (IPKCA).

"It has been almost thirty years since Congress first passed the International Parental Kidnapping Crime Act (IPKCA), making it a federal offense to abduct and remove a child to a foreign country," the senators wrote. "As a matter of Congressional oversight and legislative consideration we would like to learn more about extradition and prosecution in IPCA cases, as well as DOJ efforts to train its employees and to educate the broader justice system about IPCA. Your responses will help us as we develop legislation to improve our nation's response to IPCA crimes."

The senators also sent a letter to the Embassy of Japan embassy in Washington about their commitment to working with the US government to resolve IPCA cases under new leadership.

"Last year, we wrote to then-Ambassador Shinsuke Sugiyama regarding the important issue of international parental child abduction (IPCA)," wrote the senators. "Ambassador Sugiyama responded with a letter acknowledging that IPCA is an 'extremely important issue for the Japanese Government,' and that the Japanese Government 'will continue working to address this issue until all outstanding cases are resolved.'"

"With new leadership in Japan, we are hopeful that further progress can be made to reunite left-behind parents and their abducted children," the senators continued. "We humbly ask that you will continue to encourage the Japanese Government to do everything possible to resolve all remaining international parental abduction cases, both pre- and post-Convention."

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