The U.S. State Department will begin revoking passports for thousands of parents who owe significant amounts in unpaid child support, with the new policy set to affect those who owe $100,000 or more. The department confirmed on Thursday that the revocations will start on Friday, impacting approximately 2,700 individuals.
Expanded Passport Revocation Program
The revocation program, initially set to target only those who owed $100,000 or more in child support, will soon be expanded to include parents owing more than $2,500. This amount was the threshold set by a 1996 law, though it has been underenforced until now.
The expanded program, which was first reported by the Associated Press in February, will cover a much larger number of parents.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is still collecting data from state agencies to determine the total number of passport holders affected by this policy. However, officials expect that this group could include many more individuals than the initial 2,700.
Previously, only parents applying for passport renewals were subject to the penalty. Under the new policy, HHS will provide the State Department with a list of all parents with overdue child support payments exceeding $2,500. Those in this group who hold U.S. passports will have their documents revoked.
Impact and Goals of the Policy
Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs, Mora Namdar, explained that this expansion aims to encourage parents to resolve their child support debts. “We are expanding a commonsense practice that has been proven effective at getting those who owe child support to pay their debt,” Namdar said. “Once these parents resolve their debts, they can once again enjoy the privilege of a U.S. passport.”
The department also noted that since news of the program’s expansion broke, hundreds of parents had taken action to settle their arrears. While the department couldn’t confirm the exact impact of the news, they highlighted that the policy has been effective in motivating individuals to fulfill their obligations.
Past Success and Future Plans
Since the program began in 1998, it has proven to be a powerful tool in encouraging parents to pay what they owe. The program has contributed to the collection of over $657 million in arrears, including more than $156 million in lump-sum payments from over 24,000 individuals over the past five years.
Those whose passports are revoked will be notified and informed that they cannot use their passports for international travel until their debts are paid. If a passport holder is abroad at the time of revocation, they will need to visit a U.S. embassy or consulate to obtain an emergency travel document that will allow them to return to the U.S.
