Federal gov’t to lower passport revocation threshold for child support debt to $50,000

By THE STAR STAFF

On June 29, the federal government will launch a third phase of the passport revocation process for individuals with child support debts of $50,000 or more, María del Mar Mateu Meléndez, head of the Child Support Administration (ASUME by its acronym in Spanish), announced on Thursday.

The measure will also apply to obligors with two or more cases whose combined debt reaches that amount.

“As the federal government previously indicated, the passport revocation phases will continue to expand to include increasingly lower balances,” Mateu Meléndez stated in a written release. “The expectation is that, eventually, the process will reach the threshold established in federal regulations of $2,500 or more in accumulated debt.”

The official urged individuals with outstanding balances not to wait for a notification but to contact ASUME to verify the status of their cases.

“Now is the time to contact ASUME, check your case status, and address any outstanding balance,” she said.

Mateu Meléndez said it was the third phase announced by federal authorities in less than two months.

The first phase began on May 8 and applied to individuals with debts exceeding $100,000. The second took effect on June 1 for balances of $75,000 or more.

With the new directive, the threshold drops to $50,000, expanding the number of people at risk of passport revocation or restriction.

The program is carried out through coordination between the U.S. Department of State, the federal Department of Health and Human Services, and the Office of Child Support Enforcement, under Section 452(k) of the federal Social Security Act.

That provision allows for the denial, restriction or revocation of passports due to significant non-compliance with child support obligations. Federal regulations also maintain the requirement to issue advance notices to individuals with debts exceeding $2,500, warning them of potential consequences regarding obtaining, renewing or retaining a U.S. passport.

Mateu Meléndez noted that the measures have prompted individuals with child support obligations to address their cases and bring their payments up to date.