The United States State Department has initiated the revocation of passports for thousands of parents who owe substantial amounts of unpaid child support. This new policy, announced on Thursday, May 7, targets individuals with arrears of $100,000 or more, affecting approximately 2,700 American passport holders, according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services.
Expansion of the Program
The revocation program is set to expand soon to include parents who owe more than $2,500 in unpaid child support, a threshold established by a 1996 law that has rarely been enforced. The State Department confirmed that the enforcement would begin on Friday, May 8. Officials noted that the exact number of passport holders owing over $2,500 is still being compiled, as HHS collects data from state agencies, but it is expected to encompass many more thousands of individuals.
Previous Policy vs. New Approach
Previously, only those applying for passport renewals faced penalties. Under the updated policy, HHS will inform the State Department of all past-due payments exceeding $2,500, and parents in that category will have their passports revoked. Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Mora Namdar stated, "We are expanding a commonsense practice that has proven effective at getting those who owe child support to pay their debt. Once these parents resolve their debts, they can once again enjoy the privilege of a U.S. passport."
Impact and Effectiveness
Since the Associated Press reported on the program's expansion on February 10, the State Department has observed that hundreds of parents have taken action to resolve their arrears. The department noted, "While we can't confirm the causation in all of those cases, we are taking this action precisely to impel these parents to do the right thing by their children and by U.S. law."
Even before the expansion, the program has been a powerful tool for collecting child support. Since its earnest implementation in 1998, states have collected approximately $657 million in arrears, including over $156 million from more than 24,000 individual lump-sum payments over the past five years.
Procedures for Affected Individuals
Those whose passports are revoked will receive notification that their documents are invalid for travel. They must apply for a new passport once their arrears are confirmed as paid. If a passport holder is abroad at the time of revocation, they must visit a U.S. embassy or consulate to obtain an emergency travel document allowing them to return to the United States.
