The United States Department of State has announced plans to begin revoking the passports of parents with large unpaid child support debts as part of a stricter enforcement policy.
The department said the process will commence on Friday, initially targeting individuals owing $100,000 or more in unpaid child support. According to figures from the United States Department of Health and Human Services, about 2,700 Americans could be affected in the first phase.
Officials explained that the move is part of a broader enforcement plan that will later extend to parents owing more than $2,500, in line with a 1996 US law that has seen limited enforcement over the years.
Under the previous system, only individuals attempting to renew their passports faced penalties over unpaid child support. However, the updated policy will allow health authorities to submit the names of all qualifying debtors to the State Department for passport revocation.
Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs, Mora Namdar, described the measure as a practical way to compel compliance with child support obligations.
“We are expanding a commonsense practice that has been proven effective at getting those who owe child support to pay their debt,” Namdar said, adding that affected parents would regain passport privileges once their debts are settled.
The State Department also disclosed that some parents had already begun making payments after reports emerged earlier this year about the planned expansion of the policy.
According to officials, the passport enforcement programme has helped states recover substantial amounts in unpaid child support since it was introduced in 1998. Authorities said states have recovered about $657 million overall, including more than $156 million from over 24,000 lump-sum payments recorded within the last five years.
Under the new arrangement, affected individuals will be notified once their passports are revoked and informed that the documents can no longer be used for international travel. Those outside the United States at the time of revocation will be required to visit a US embassy or consulate to obtain emergency travel documents to return home.
