Washington — The U.S. State Department announced it has begun revoking passports of thousands of parents who owe substantial child support arrears, stepping up enforcement of a long-standing but previously underutilised federal law.
(Source: thehill.com)
The initiative, which started Friday, initially targets passport holders owing more than $100 000 in past-due child support, affecting an estimated 2 700 Americans according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Officials plan to expand it soon to anyone owing more than $2 500 — the threshold established by law — potentially impacting many more thousands.
(Source: kcra.com)
The move builds on the Passport Denial Program, created under the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) and modified by the 2005 Deficit Reduction Act, which lowered the threshold from $5 000 to $2 500.
Previously, enforcement was largely passive, occurring mainly when individuals applied for or renewed passports or sought consular services. Under the new proactive approach, HHS shares data with the State Department, enabling revocation of existing valid passports.
(Source: state.gov)
In a statement released Thursday, the State Department said: “Under the Trump Administration, the Department of State is coordinating with the Department of Health and Human Services on an unprecedented scale to revoke the passports of Americans who have racked up significant outstanding child support debt.”
It added, “It is simple: deadbeat parents need to pay their child support arrears.” Any American with significant debt should arrange payment immediately to avoid revocation.
(Source: state.gov)
Once revoked, a passport cannot be used for travel. Affected individuals must contact the relevant state child support enforcement agency to resolve arrears.
After payment is verified by HHS, they become eligible to apply for a new passport.
Those overseas at the time of revocation can obtain limited-validity emergency travel documents for return to the U.S. through embassies or consulates.
(Source: travel.state.gov)
Since the program’s inception, it has helped collect nearly $657 million in past-due support, including significant lump-sum payments.
Officials noted that hundreds of parents resolved arrears after initial reports of the expansion in February.
(Source: kcra.com)
Child support advocates welcomed the measure as a commonsense tool to enforce parental obligations and support children’s welfare.
Critics have raised concerns about restricting a fundamental right to travel and potential precedents for other debts.
The State Department’s official notice on passport revocations due to significant child support debt is available at state.gov.
Full details on the program are also posted on travel.state.gov under “Passports and Child Support Debt.”
(Source: state.gov)
This enforcement action underscores ongoing federal efforts to address child support delinquency through coordinated interagency action between the State Department and HHS.
Disclaimer: This article was compiled using the AI tool, Grok X, and may contain inaccuracies.
