US will start revoking passports for thousands of parents who owe child support, AP learns

[littlemissmartypants]

Source: AP

...
The department told The Associated Press on Thursday that the revocations would begin Friday and be focused on those who owe $100,000 or more. That would apply to about 2,700 American passport holders, according to figures supplied to the State Department by the Department of Health and Human Services.

The revocation program, plans for which were first reported by the AP in February, soon will be greatly expanded to cover parents who owe more than $2,500 in unpaid child support — the threshold set by a little-enforced 1996 law, the State Department said.

It was not clear on Thursday how many passport holders owe more than $2,500 because HHS is still collecting data from state agencies that track the figures, but it could encompass many more thousands of people, officials said.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/passports-unpaid-child-support-penalty-state-department-42d90cfa8a06ee349bb9145f668919b6

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By MATTHEW LEE
Updated 3:28 PM EDT, May 7, 2026

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. State Department will begin revoking the U.S. passports of thousands of parents who owe a significant amount of unpaid child support.

[Doodley]

1. This is where this fascist move begins, then those who owe the IRS, then those on disability.

[hlthe2b]

9. Exactly. While I would certainly like child support scofflaws to be addressed, this is a Pandora's Box...

And yes, what a litany of excuses could be used to go after ANY of us--even a "supposed erroneous" claim based on an IRS "error" (not), a claim on a document that is only 99.9% true, or false accusations of someone they pay to testify against you?

[LudwigPastorius]

12. Protesting in a non-approved area or manner

Making "death threat" posts (with or without seashells)

Belonging to a "terror group", particularly any anti-fascists ( https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2026-USCT-Strategy-1.pdf )

Sounds like we're just about up to 1941.

[SonOfNebanaube]

2. More neo Jim Crow Electioneering...

That would probably backfire as far as Maga is concerned.

[unblock]

3. While I have little sympathy for those who don't pay child support,

I don't see how this helps the child(ren) in any way.

[Sowhat13]

11. Exactly.....

You cannot see how it will help those children, because it will not help.
It is more theater for MAGA, so they do not start looking around at the republickcans'......
If they did start looking, they would find the biggest fraudsters wear red......
https://thebastionusa.com/criminal-scandals?s=date

[FakeNoose]

4. It's mostly men, am I right?

If Uncle Sam gets the delinquents to pay, where does the money do? I would HOPE that the children (or their mothers) would get it, but who knows what this administration would do ....

[MichMan]

5. Part of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996

Passed the Senate 74-24, the House 256-170, and signed into law by Bill Clinton in 1996

[hlthe2b]

10. Yes... but now they want to expand it, including other debt

Ever had a mistake by IRS made on your return (or heaven forbid, audit)? It happens in good administrations. It may well happen more in corrupt administrations and if your job requires international travel--well too damned bad, I guess.

[fujiyamasan]

6. I don't really have a problem with this as long as there is an appeals process

I’m surprised the administration cares enough about child support delinquency.

The problem I have is I doubt it would be enforced fairly.

[PCB66]

7. I'm not pissed over this

If you have enough money to go traveling all over the world you should be paying to take care of your kids.

There are many other things to be pissed about. This doesn't meet the threshold.

[amcgrath]

8. I'm guessing that a revoked passport

Can’t be used as ID for voting ?

[RoseTrellis]

13. Probably not

Probably not. But since you need state issued photo id to even get a passport, this probably won’t be an issue - especially since this is targeted to those earning 100k or more

[Grokenstein]

14. On the "bright" side...

I know at least one redcap asshole who's going to be furious about this, as he pisses and moans constantly about child support--which he makes excuses for not paying, as he sees money as his last remaining control over his ex and their child he wants nothing to do with.

There are surely many more like him. May this become another Republickscum fiasco that comes back to smash them in the midterms.

[AverageOldGuy]

15. I wonder how many Jan 6 thugs are in this group?

[EuterpeThelo]

16. $2500?

That's no more than a couple of months in some cases. This is a slippery slope. I'm certain it's not an insignificant number of women who actually pay child support to their kid's other parent and don't still have the same name as on their birth certificate...and like others have pointed out, next it's because you owe back taxes, or DMV fines, or medical debt...