WASHINGTON — Federal officials have launched a new enforcement initiative targeting parents who have fallen behind on child support payments by canceling their U.S. passports.
State Department officials announced Thursday that the passport cancellations would commence Friday, initially targeting individuals who owe $100,000 or more in unpaid support. Data from the Department of Health and Human Services indicates approximately 2,700 American passport holders fall into this category.
The enforcement action, which was initially disclosed by the Associated Press in February, will soon broaden significantly to include parents owing more than $2,500 in delinquent child support payments — a threshold established by a rarely enforced 1996 federal statute.
Officials could not specify Thursday how many passport holders owe amounts exceeding $2,500, as Health and Human Services continues gathering information from state agencies that monitor these figures. However, authorities suggest the number could reach into the tens of thousands.
Previously, only individuals seeking passport renewals faced this penalty. Under the updated enforcement approach, HHS will notify the State Department about all overdue payments exceeding $2,500, leading to passport revocation for affected parents.
“We are expanding a commonsense practice that has been proven effective at getting those who owe child support to pay their debt,” stated Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Mora Namdar. “Once these parents resolve their debts, they can once again enjoy the privilege of a U.S. passport.”
Following the Associated Press report on the program’s expansion in February, department officials noted that “hundreds of parents took action and resolved their arrears with state authorities since news broke that the State Department would start proactively revoking passports.”
“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,” the department explained.
Prior to this expansion, officials described the program as a “powerful tool” for compelling payment compliance. Since its implementation in 1998, states have recovered approximately $657 million in overdue support, including more than $156 million through over 24,000 individual lump-sum payments during the past five years.
Parents whose passports are canceled will receive notification that their travel documents are no longer valid and must apply for new passports after confirming payment of their outstanding obligations.
Passport holders currently overseas when their documents are revoked must visit a U.S. embassy or consulate to secure emergency travel documentation for their return to the United States.
