Cornyn Calls for Renewed Efforts to Secure Release of Austin Tice

Cornyn Calls for Renewed Efforts to Secure Release of Austin Tice News Cornyn Calls for Renewed Efforts to Secure Release of Austin Tice August 14, 2026 AUSTIN – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) today released a statement urging President Donald J. Trump and his administration to prioritize efforts to secure the return of Austin Tice, an American journalist, Houston native, and Marine veteran, as we mark the somber milestone of Tice being held captive in Syria for 14 years on Aug. 14. Sen. Cornyn has been drawing focus to Tice’s case for more than a decade, including after the fall of the regime of Bashar al-Assad. “ Fourteen years ago, Austin Tice, a Marine who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, was detained at a checkpoint in Syria while working as a freelance journalist, ” said Sen. Cornyn. “ Austin and other Americans in captivity around the world deserve the full and active support of our government to secure their release, and as we mark the grim anniversary of Austin’s captivity today, I urge the Trump administration to redouble their efforts to bring him home. ” Background : While covering the Syrian Civil War as a journalist in 2012, Austin Tice was abducted in Syria by the Assad regime. Sen. Cornyn has met with the Tice family several times since Austin’s capture and has discussed Austin Tice’s case with President Trump on multiple occasions. In the first Trump administration, he regularly communicated about the case with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien, and U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Ambassador Roger Carstens. Additionally, he has sent letters asking that presidential administrations use all of their resources to locate Austin and keep the Tice family informed of any updates on his whereabouts. These letters have been sent to former Secretary of State John Kerry in 2013, to President Obama in 2014 and 2016, and to the Biden administration multiple times in 2024.