Bureau of Consular Affairs, Office of American Citizens Services and Crisis Management (ACS)
The Bureau of Consular Affairs works to safeguard U.S. citizens and their interests abroad. The Office of American Citizens Services and Crisis Management (ACS) is a team of consular officers in Washington, D.C., providing consular support to wrongful detainees and hostages. The team is composed of officers with a wide breadth of regional knowledge as well as consular experience. ACS will be your direct contact with U.S. consular officials overseas and can provide guidance on a variety of consular related issues, such as consular notification and access to U.S. nationals detained overseas, sending money/items to detained U.S. nationals, passports, and repatriation options to the United States. While SPEHA’s directive is to support U.S. nationals, including Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs) wrongfully detained or held hostage abroad and their families, the Bureau of Consular Affairs generally does not have authority to provide assistance to non-U.S. citizens.