The Trump administration is preparing to intensify enforcement of long-standing federal law by targeting passports held by parents who have amassed substantial unpaid child support.
According to The Post Millennial, three US officials familiar with the initiative told the Associated Press that the State Department will begin revoking passports of such individuals by relying on data supplied by the Department of Health and Human Services. Under a 1996 federal statute, passports may be revoked for child support arrears exceeding $2,500, but until now the State Department has typically acted only when a person sought a renewal or other consular services.
Officials estimate that the policy shift could affect thousands of Americans, a reflection of how widespread chronic nonpayment has become despite generous welfare programs and state-level enforcement tools. Because of the volume, the rollout will occur in stages, beginning with those who owe more than $100,000, a first tier that one official said includes fewer than 500 people who can avoid losing their passports by entering into a payment plan with HHS.
The State Department stated that it is "reviewing options to enforce long-standing law to prevent those owing substantial amounts of child support from neglecting their legal and moral obligations to their children." The Department added, "It is simple: deadbeat parents need to pay their child support arrears."
Since the Passport Denial Program was created under the 1996 reforms championing personal responsibility, the Office of Child Support Enforcement at HHS reports that roughly $621 million in overdue child support has been collected, including nine individual payments exceeding $300,000.
For an administration that has emphasized law and order, border security, and respect for the traditional family, using passport revocations to compel parents to meet their obligations underscores a broader conservative principle: government should protect children and taxpayers by insisting that those who bring children into the world, not the state, bear the primary financial duty to support them.
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