The U.S. State Department will begin revoking the passports of thousands of Americans who owe large amounts in unpaid child support.
Officials told The Associated Press on Thursday, May 7, that the policy takes effect Friday, May 8, initially targeting parents who owe at least $100,000. About 2,700 passport holders fall into that category, based on data provided by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
The program is expected to expand soon to include anyone owing more than $2,500 in unpaid child support, in line with a 1996 law that has rarely been enforced. According to the AP, officials are still gathering data from state agencies, so the number of affected passport holders remains unclear but could reach many thousands.
Previously, the penalty mainly applied to people seeking to renew their passports. Under the updated policy, HHS will notify the State Department about all child support arrears exceeding $2,500, and any passport holders in that group could have their passports revoked.
“We are expanding a commonsense practice that has been proven effective at getting those who owe child support to pay their debt,” said Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Mora Namdar. “Once these parents resolve their debts, they can once again enjoy the privilege of a U.S. passport.”
The department also noted that after news of the expanded enforcement became public in February, hundreds of parents reportedly took steps to settle their overdue payments with state authorities. Officials said the goal of the policy is to encourage compliance with child support obligations and U.S. law.
According to the State Department, the program has already helped states recover about $657 million in unpaid child support since 1998, including more than $156 million through over 24,000 lump-sum payments in the past five years alone.
Individuals whose passports are revoked will be informed that they can no longer use them for international travel. Once their child support debts are cleared, they may apply for a new passport.
Americans who are overseas when their passports are revoked will need to visit a U.S. embassy or consulate to obtain emergency travel documents to return home.
