The administration of Donald Trump has reportedly approved stricter enforcement measures targeting citizens who fail to pay child support, including the possible cancellation of passports belonging to serious defaulters.
According to policy details, the US Department of US will coordinate with the US Department of Health services to identify individuals with significant overdue child support payments.
Officials said the measure is intended to strengthen compliance with court-ordered financial obligations and improve child welfare outcomes across the United States.
Initially, the policy will target individuals owing $100,000 or more in unpaid child support. However, authorities are reportedly planning to expand enforcement to include those with arrears exceeding $2,500, significantly broadening the number of potentially affected citizens.
Unlike earlier regulations that mainly restricted passport renewals, the updated policy framework would also allow authorities to revoke already issued passports, marking a major escalation in enforcement measures.
According to estimates cited in the policy rollout, approximately 2,700 US passport holders could face immediate impact under the new rules.
Officials said individuals whose passports are revoked would only be eligible to reapply after fully clearing outstanding child support obligations.
The programme also expands inter-agency data sharing, with the Department of Health and Human Services expected to provide updated lists of delinquent payers to federal authorities.
Child support enforcement programmes have existed in the United States since the late 1990s under federal welfare laws, allowing authorities to recover unpaid support through wage garnishment, tax refund interception, and passport restrictions.
Supporters argue the policy would improve accountability and secure financial support for children, while critics have raised concerns regarding the broader consequences of travel restrictions on affected individuals.
