"The U.S. Department of State will begin revoking the passports of citizens with significant child support debts, as part of a policy the Trump administration introduced as an effort to strengthen enforcement of federal laws and compel those with overdue payments to catch up. The measure will take effect on May 8 and, in the initial phase, will target individuals who owe $100,000 or more in overdue child support payments, according to information released by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)."
"According to figures cited by the Associated Press, approximately 2,700 passport holders would initially fall into that category. However, the federal government confirmed that the program will be expanded to include any citizen with debts exceeding $2,500, the threshold established by a federal law passed in 1996. Until now, that provision had been applied on a limited basis and primarily affected people attempting to apply for or renew a passport."
"Under President Trump, the Department of State is using commonsense tools to support American families and strengthen compliance with U.S. laws, the State Department said in a statement released Thursday. The agency added that the policy aims to prevent those who owe significant amounts in child support from neglecting their legal and moral obligations to their children. The legislation authorizing these sanctions was included in the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act, signed by then-president Bill Clinton in 1996."
"The law authorizes the secretary of state to revoke, restrict, or limit a passport for individuals identified by the federal government as delinquent in child support payments. Although laws vary by state, deliberate nonpayment of child support can lead to criminal consequences in certain cases, along with sanctions such as wage garnishment, license suspension, or restrictions on obtaining a passport."
The U.S. Department of State will revoke passports for citizens with delinquent child support payments as of May 8. The initial phase targets individuals owing $100,000 or more in overdue payments, with about 2,700 passport holders expected to be affected. The program will then expand to include any citizen with child support debts above $2,500, the threshold set by a federal law from 1996. Previously, the $2,500 provision was applied mainly to people seeking to apply for or renew passports. The policy is intended to strengthen enforcement of federal laws and encourage overdue payments. Child support nonpayment can also trigger other sanctions such as wage garnishment and license suspension, depending on state law.
#child-support-enforcement #passport-revocation #federal-law #state-department #personal-responsibility-and-work-opportunity-act
Read at english.elpais.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]