The United States Department of State has announced a new enforcement policy that will allow authorities to revoke passports of parents with substantial unpaid child support obligations.
According to a statement shared with the Associated Press on Thursday, implementation of the measure is expected to begin on Friday, initially targeting individuals owing at least $100,000 in unpaid child support.
The department said the policy is part of efforts to strengthen compliance with child support responsibilities and improve enforcement mechanisms across states in the United States.
Data from the United States Department of Health and Human Services indicates that about 2,700 people could be affected in the first phase of the rollout.
Officials explained that the policy is expected to later extend to parents owing more than $2,500, in line with a 1996 federal law that has seen limited enforcement over the years.
The department noted that while it is still working with state authorities to compile comprehensive records of affected individuals, the total number of parents impacted could rise to several thousand nationwide.
Under the revised system, state agencies will transmit the names of eligible debtors directly to the State Department for possible passport revocation, marking a shift from the previous approach where restrictions were applied mainly during passport renewal.
Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs, Mora Namdar, said the initiative expands an existing enforcement tool aimed at improving payment compliance.
“We are expanding a commonsense practice that has been proven effective at getting those who owe child support to pay their debt,” she said.
Namdar added that affected individuals could regain their passport privileges once they clear their outstanding obligations.
The State Department also disclosed that some parents have begun settling their debts following earlier reports in February about the planned expansion of the enforcement policy.
