The US State Department will begin revoking the passports of thousands of parents who owe significant unpaid child support, starting Friday with those owing $100,000 or more. This applies to about 2,700 American passport holders, according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Expansion of Revocation Program
The program, first reported by the Associated Press in February, will soon expand to cover parents who owe more than $2,500 in unpaid child support—the threshold set by a 1996 law that has been little enforced. It remains unclear how many passport holders owe more than $2,500, as HHS is still collecting data from state agencies, but officials indicate it could encompass many thousands more.
Until this week, only those applying to renew their passports faced the penalty. Under the new policy, HHS will inform the State Department of all past-due payments exceeding $2,500, and parents in that group with passports will have their documents revoked.
Official Statements
Mora Namdar, Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs, said: "We are expanding a commonsense practice that has been 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 US passport."
The State Department noted that since the AP reported the expansion on February 10, "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 causation cannot be confirmed in all cases, the department stated it is taking this action "precisely to impel these parents to do the right thing by their children and by US law."
Previous Success of the Program
Even before the expansion, the program had been a "powerful tool" to compel parents to pay owed child support. Since it began in earnest in 1998, states have collected approximately $657 million in arrears, including over $156 million in more than 24,000 individual lump-sum payments over the past five years.
Process for Affected Passport Holders
Those whose passports are revoked will be notified that they cannot use their documents for travel. They must apply for a new passport once their child support debts are confirmed as paid. A passport holder who is abroad at the time of revocation will need to visit a US embassy or consulate to obtain an emergency travel document allowing them to return to the United States.
