US to revoke passports of thousands of parents for failure to pay child support, starting with debt exceeding $100,000

Thousands of American parents who owe large sums in unpaid child support will lose their passports as the U.S. government moves to expand enforcement of a long-standing federal law, The Associated Press reported.The State Department confirmed the rescissions will begin on Friday, initially for parents who owe $100,000 or more. Officials estimate about 2,700 passport holders fall into this category, according to data provided by the Department of Health and Human Services.The move is a departure from previous practice, which typically marked passports only when people applied for renewal or used consular services. Under the new system, authorities will now proactively revoke passports based on debt information shared by federal and state agencies.“We are promoting a common-sense approach that has been proven effective in getting those who owe child support to pay their debts,” said Mora Namdar, Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs.“Once these parents resolve their debt, they can once again enjoy the privileges of a U.S. passport,” she added.The policy is expected to be expanded to cover parents whose unpaid child support exceeds $2,500, a threshold established by the 1996 law. The number of people affected at this level has not yet been confirmed, but is likely to rise into the thousands once national-level data collection is completed.Under this system, DHHS will notify the Department of State of delinquent individuals. Those caught will have their passports revoked and required to clear their debts before reapplying for travel documents.Parents whose passports have been revoked will be informed that their documents are no longer valid for international travel. Those who have already left the country at the time of revocation will need to contact a U.S. Embassy or Consulate to obtain emergency travel documents to return home.The scheme has already paid off, with some parents paying overdue payments after news of the crackdown broke earlier this year.The policy is part of the Passport Denial Program established under federal law in 1996, which allows the government to restrict the passports of individuals who are seriously delinquent in child support payments. Since its launch, the program has helped raise hundreds of millions of dollars in pro bono support, including more than $156 million in the past five years alone. Enforcement action will be rolled out in phases, first raising debt thresholds and then potentially reaching lower arrears levels.