Title 22, Foreign Relations and IntercourseRelease 119-102
§462 Compelling Foreign Vessels to Depart
Title 22 › CHAPTER 9 — FOREIGN WARS, WAR MATERIALS, AND NEUTRALITY › SUBCHAPTER III — PREVENTION OF OFFENSES AGAINST NEUTRALITY › § 462
Summary
The President can use parts of the Army, Navy, or militia as needed to force a foreign ship to leave the United States or its territories when international law or U.S. treaties say the ship should not stay. The President can also hold or stop a foreign ship from leaving when international law or U.S. treaties say it may not go.
Full Legal Text
Title 22, §462
Foreign Relations and Intercourse, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
It shall be lawful for the President to employ such part of the land or naval forces of the United States, or of the militia thereof, as he may deem necessary to compel any foreign vessel to depart from the United States or any of its possessions in all cases in which, by the law of nations or the treaties of the United States, it ought not to remain, and to detain or prevent any foreign vessel from so departing in all cases in which, by the law of nations or the treaties of the United States, it is not entitled to depart.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Codification Section was formerly classified to section 27 of title 18 prior to the general revision and enactment of Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure, by act
June 25, 1948, ch. 645, § 1, 62 Stat. 683. Act
June 15, 1917, inserted provisions relating to detention of vessels.
Prior Provisions
Section was derived from R.S. § 5288 (act Apr. 20, 1818, ch. 88, § 9, 3 Stat. 449), which was repealed by act Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, § 341, 35 Stat. 1153.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
22 U.S.C. § 462
Title 22, Foreign Relations and Intercourse
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102