The United States government says it will intensify efforts to revoke the passports of parents owing more than $2,500 in unpaid child support.
The United States government has announced plans to intensify efforts to revoke the passports of parents owing more than $2,500 in unpaid child support. In a statement issued on Thursday, the United States Department of State said the move is being implemented by the administration of President Donald Trump in collaboration with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
According to the department, the policy is aimed at ensuring that parents who fail to meet their financial responsibilities to their children face “real consequences”. The statement noted that existing US law already empowers authorities to deny or revoke passports for individuals with significant child support arrears.
“U.S. law requires Americans to comply with child support obligations in order to receive a U.S. passport and allows the Department of State to revoke the passport of an individual who owes more than $2,500 in child support,” the statement reads. The department added that it is now working with HHS “on an unprecedented scale” to identify and penalise affected individuals, warning that parents with unpaid obligations risk losing the ability to use their passports for international travel unless they settle their debts immediately.
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