The State Department launched a pro-family policy revoking passports from parents owing child support.
“Under President Trump, the Department of State is using commonsense tools to support American families and strengthen compliance with U.S. laws,” the department said in a statement. “This includes preventing those who owe substantial amounts of court-ordered child support from neglecting their legal and moral obligations to their children.”
According to U.S. law, Americans are required to comply with child support obligations in order to receive a passport and allows the State Department to pull the passports of those who owe more than $2,500 in child support. “This action supports the welfare of American children by exacting real consequences for child support delinquency under existing federal law,” the State Department explained, noting that eligibility for a new passport can only be restored once debt is paid.
A 2021 census report notes that more than $20 billion was spent on child support that year. The average monthly amount was $441.
The passport policy follows the State Department announcing a separate passport initiative honoring the nation’s 250th anniversary. “As the United States celebrates America’s 250th anniversary in July, the State Department is preparing to release a limited number of specially designed US passports to commemorate this historic occasion,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott told Fox News. The new design will continue “maintaining the same security features that make the US Passport the most secure document in the world,” Pigott added.
Mock designs obtained by the outlet show a picture of Trump surrounded by the text of the Declaration of Independence. Another page shows the founding fathers during the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
