The U.S. State Department is set to begin revoking the passports of thousands of Americans who owe large amounts of unpaid child support as part of an expanded enforcement effort aimed at collecting overdue payments.
Beginning Friday, the program will initially target passport holders with child support debts of $100,000 or more. Officials said roughly 2,700 Americans currently fall into that category based on information provided by the Department of Health and Human Services.
The policy is expected to expand significantly in the near future to include parents who owe more than $2,500 in unpaid child support, which is the threshold established under a federal law passed in 1996. Until now, enforcement of that law had been limited, and penalties generally only applied when individuals attempted to renew their passports.
Under the updated system, federal officials will proactively identify passport holders who exceed the debt threshold and move to revoke their passports even if they are not in the renewal process. State agencies tracking child support arrears are continuing to provide updated records to federal authorities, and officials expect the broader enforcement effort could eventually affect many thousands more Americans.
The State Department said the expanded policy is designed to encourage parents to meet their child support obligations and noted that the program has historically proven effective in motivating overdue payments.
Officials also said that since details of the expanded crackdown became public earlier this year, hundreds of parents have already taken steps to resolve outstanding debts with state authorities.
Federal officials described the passport enforcement system as a major tool for recovering unpaid child support. Since the program began in 1998, states have reportedly collected hundreds of millions of dollars in overdue payments, including substantial lump-sum settlements over the last several years.
Individuals whose passports are revoked will be notified that their documents are no longer valid for international travel. Once their child support debt is resolved and confirmed by authorities, they will be eligible to apply for a new passport.
Americans who are overseas when their passports are revoked will still be allowed to return home, but they will first need to visit a U.S. embassy or consulate to obtain an emergency travel document for reentry into the United States.
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