by Sharelle B. McNair
February 13, 2026
Information from the federal Workplace of Youngster Help Companies (OCSS) and HHS reveal roughly $621 million in again youngster help funds have been collected, together with 9 collections of greater than $300,000 since its 1998 institution.
The Trump Administration is reinstating a 30-year-old legislation that revokes passports for fogeys who owe greater than $100K in again youngster help, Fox Information reported.
The transfer from the State Division will restrict dad and mom’ capability to journey exterior the nation till they’re caught up on their paperwork. Beneath the 1996 Private Duty and Work Alternative Reconciliation Act, the federal company launched the Passport Denial Program to revoke passports for people with over $100,000 in belongings.
Whereas there are fewer than 500 folks in that class, the division is permitting them to enter right into a cost plan with the Division of Well being and Human Companies (HHS) upon receiving discover.
Beneath the identical legislation, passport revocations for these with excellent youngster help are allowed if the quantity exceeds $2,500; nevertheless, the company solely acts when an individual applies for a passport, to resume it, or for different providers. With passports being legitimate for ten years, dad and mom with huge again cost points would be capable of preserve touring with out interference from the State Division.
However not anymore.
In an announcement, in accordance with The Journey, the State Division stated it’s “reviewing choices to implement long-standing legislation to stop these owing substantial quantities of kid help from neglecting their authorized and ethical obligations to their youngsters” and despatched a harsh warning.
“It’s easy: deadbeat dad and mom must pay their youngster help arrears.”
The company is taking issues up a notch. A memo from the U.S. Division of State International Affairs Handbook (FAM) states that folks on this class who’re already exterior the U.S. could have their passports revoked, barring them from touring to a different nation and forcing them to return residence to settle their debt.
Information from the federal Workplace of Youngster Help Companies (OCSS) and HHS revealed roughly $621 million in again youngster help funds have been collected, together with 9 collections of greater than $300,000 since its 1998 institution.
With plans to proceed, affected dad and mom can be notified by mail if their passport software is denied for failure to pay over $2,500. Nonetheless, earlier than that, the state youngster help company is understood to inform the guardian that they’re within the Passport Denial Program or that their identify is being submitted to OCSS.
RELATED CONTENT: Minding Our Personal Enterprise: How Garveyism Imagined Pan-African Id
