US passports to be revoked for nonpayment of child support

The US Department of State (DOS) recently announced it will revoke the US passports of any person owing more than $2,500 in child support. If the person happens to be outside the US, they would not be able to use that passport to return to the US. This is because once a passport is revoked, it may no longer be used for travel.

According to DOS, the Trump administration wants to ensure compliance with US laws, which “include preventing those who owe substantial amounts of court-ordered child support from neglecting their legal and moral obligations to their children.” Accordingly, DOS is coordinating with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to revoke the passports of US citizens who owe a significant amount of child support in order that there should be “real consequences for child support delinquency.”

If a passport is revoked, the US citizen would have to apply for a new one, but only after HHS confirms that the “child support debt [has been] paid to the relevant state child support enforcement agency and the individual is no longer delinquent according to HHS records.”

Realistically, if a parent has been ordered to pay child support but is not doing so, the burden falls on taxpayers to support their child. That’s not fair to taxpayers. In addition, if that person can afford to travel abroad (which is why they would use their US passport), then they should certainly prioritize supporting their children over a trip to Europe.

The lesson is that if you owe court-ordered child support, you should make sure to satisfy your support obligations before taking that next trip outside the US. Otherwise, you could find that your passport has been revoked, and then you would have to contact the US consular post and apply for a limited-validity passport for direct return to the US. This new policy also shows how tough the Trump administration is in connection with enforcing existing immigration laws.

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