U.S. to Revoke Passports for Parents Owing Child Support

The U.S. Department of State announced on Thursday a new enforcement policy that will lead to the revocation of passports belonging to parents with significant unpaid child support obligations.

This measure will begin implementation on Friday and targets individuals with at least $100,000 in child support arrears. According to data from the U.S.

Department of Health and Human Services, approximately 2,700 individuals are expected to be affected in the first phase of the rollout. Officials explained that this policy is part of a broader enforcement framework aimed at improving compliance with child support payments.

The initiative is expected to eventually extend to parents owing $2,500 under a 1996 federal law that has been partially enforced for years. The Department noted that it is working with state agencies to compile complete records of eligible debtors, and the total number of affected individuals could reach several thousand nationwide.

The revised system will allow state authorities to forward the names of qualifying individuals directly to the State Department for possible passport revocation, expanding beyond the previous approach that mainly applied during passport renewals. Mora Namdar, Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs, stated that this move strengthens existing enforcement tools designed to ensure compliance with child support obligations.