Passport revocation for child support arrears could impact 435 people.

María del Mar Mateu Meléndez heads Puerto Rico’s Child Support Administration.

By THE STAR STAFF

María del Mar Mateu Meléndez, who heads the island’s Child Support Administration, announced on Wednesday that the federal revocation of passports due to child support arrears could initially impact 435 non-custodial parents in Puerto Rico.

“Until last week, this restriction applied primarily when an individual attempted to apply for or renew their passport,” said Mateu Meléndez in a written statement.

The new federal phase will begin with non-custodial parents who have outstanding child support debts exceeding $100,000.

Of the 435 cases identified in Puerto Rico, 68 involve active cases concerning minors under the age of 21, while 367 involve cases concerning individuals over the age of 21.

“With this new federal directive, the landscape changes, as the federal government is now empowered to revoke passports that have already been issued to individuals with significant child support arrears,” the official said.

Mateu Meléndez said the process will soon be expanded to include cases involving lower outstanding balances, in accordance with current federal law.

The directive was issued last week by the U.S. Department of State, in coordination with the federal Department of Health and Human Services and the Office of Child Support Enforcement.

The regulation maintains the existing requirement to provide advance notification to any individual owing more than $2,500 in overdue child support regarding potential consequences -- such as the denial or revocation of their passport.

“Passport revocation reinforces existing tools designed to promote compliance with child support obligations and ensure that minors receive the financial support to which they are entitled,” Mateu Meléndez added.

According to federal guidelines, an individual whose passport has been revoked must contact the jurisdiction in which the child support is owed in order to arrange for payment.

Once the debt has been settled and the relevant federal agencies have been notified, the individual may reapply for a passport, subject to an eligibility review. The federal government warned that a revoked passport cannot be used for travel, even if the debt has subsequently been settled.

The ASUME administrator urged obligors to contact the agency, address their cases, and bring their accounts up to date before facing consequences that could affect their ability to travel.