Trump eyes passport travel ban for parents with unpaid bills

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Independent

Wednesday 11 February 2026 08:57 GMT


Parents in the United States who owe substantial child support payments could soon find themselves unable to travel internationally, as federal authorities prepare to significantly ramp up enforcement of a decades-old law.

The U.S government is set to expand and intensify a 30-year-old regulation that permits the federal government to revoke American passports until outstanding payments are settled, according to three US officials.

While federal legislation from 1996 has allowed for passport revocations for unpaid child support exceeding $2,500, the State Department previously acted only when an individual applied to renew their travel document or sought other consular services. This meant enforcement was contingent on the person initiating contact with the department for assistance.

However, the department is now poised to proactively revoke passports based on data shared by the Health and Human Services Department, officials familiar with the plan stated anonymously, as the change has not yet been publicly announced.

Read more: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/passport-child-support-trump-travel-b2918026.html

[poli-junkie]

1. First they yank your passport

for unpaid bills, then they yank your passport for being a Democrat…

I mean, they’re building the wall to keep you in.

[slightlv]

3. We should all of us have known this was coming

the minute he started yelling "put up a wall".... walls not only keep people out, they keep people in. WE'RE the ones we'll find stockaded.

[Lifeafter70]

7. I have no goodwill or support for trump long be fore he rode that escalator down

But in the early 90s I helped fight for this legislation.
I and my children struggled because of non payment of child support by their father.
While we missed meals bought clothes from thrift stores, he enjoyed trips and many grown up expensive toys.
It was difficult to garnish wages at that time because employers would either ignore the garnishment or pay him under the table.
This legislation helped many families suffering in poverty, hold the non-paying parent responsible in supporting their children.
Please read the article in full, I doubt trump is aware of this nor does he care. In fact I believe there are more higher income republicans than working class democrats that will be affected by this legislation that was passed in 1996.
BTW my ex was a republican earning three times what I did in the 80s and 90's.

Edit to add: This legislation was not about parents not paying their bills. It was about non-custodial parents who neglected their children and refused to support them.
It was about child support not your credit card or any other bill. It was about supporting children.

[slightlv]

9. Believe me, I read it... and I was in the same boat as you.

The kids school ended up being $180/mo (montessori) and my child support was $150. He had her every other weekend. I couldn't get him to pay, nor to spend his weekends with her! At one point, we were living in my Plymouth Horizon before a friend found us and gave us shelter. Hubby was even military at the time, which meant I should have all the support to get what I needed from him..bah! The calls to the first shirt went nowhere after the first time.

What I see happening, however, is that this what they always do... the frog in the pot syndrome. They start with something everybody of good character can get behind, and then slowly add on to it. Since so many of us are hurting now, thanks to trump's policies, there will come a point where those of who are surviving the end of the month via credit cards are going to get caught up in it, as well.

Personally, I don't have a dog in this fight any longer. My kid is grown, and I did it on my own. My grandkid has moved in and helps me caretake my hubby. My dreams of being able to travel after retirement are long gone...neither the body, nor the bank account will allow that to happen. Hubby couldn't do it now, anyway. And I've got enough metal in my back I'd never make it through a check-in line. I just hate to see our rights and liberties being ripped away by trump... and the evil intelligencia he has behind him. It's all a game with them. Do something you think everyone will get behind, and then drive it into the people. Just like his "immigration deportations."

BTW, I never did get the remainder of my child support. I gave up. Hang in there... if you can get it in any way you can, I wish you the best of luck. My ex was a real bastard. I do feel for you. I've been in your position. I'm still in the same position, in a way. Only instead of a kid it's an aging husband with dementia and a SS check that no longer covers much since he medical bills started coming in, thanks to the changes in MA this year. Bills and death... they are eternal. I got the former; I'm just waiting for the latter.

[Lifeafter70]

11. I'm in my 70s so my sruggles and fight was years ago

Like you I raised my children without help. I did manage to get some of the back child support before my youngest turned 18. It was because of this legislation. He was denied his security clearance until he paid a portion that was owed.
I just wanted to point out this legislation helped many parents who struggled with poverty due to non-custodial parents avoiding paying child support. It has nothing to do with any other types of missed bill payments and you have to be in arrears a significant amount before it will affect you.
If this administration trys to utilize this against working class democrats it will backfire. It was designed to enforce child support by those who had the means to hide their assets by taking things like drivers license and passports.
I just don't think we should be feeling sorry for anyone who refuses to support their children.

[slightlv]

17. Amen to this, Sister...

I just don't think we should be feeling sorry for anyone who refuses to support their children.

And I don't think there are very many women who have not been in this situation after a divorce!

[Kid Berwyn]

5. Trump owes $88 Million to E. Jean Carroll

For claiming to be worth "billions," the traitor sure has been slow to pay.

[Walleye]

2. Trump is notorious for never paying his bills. He shouldn't be allowed to go anywhere.

[Harker]

4. I'd sooner he not be allowed to return.

[Walleye]

6. Perfect, take his passport when he's out of the country

[Lifeafter70]

8. I doubt trump is even aware of this legislation

This was passed during President Clinton's time in office.
Durring the early 90's I wrote and called many of my representatives and President Clinton in support of this legislation.
It gave custodial parent much needed tools in order to collect back child support.

[snot]

10. My problem with this is

child support is a matter of state law and should be enforced by the states. It's hard to reject federal help in going after paternal deaddbeats, but I do fear a slippery slope.

Trump, like a mafia Don, believes that might is right and is weaponizing every possible form of leverage – do what I want OR ELSE (I'll impose high tariffs, I'll kidnap your leader, I'll shoot you in the face, etc.) – in a few cases perhaps for better, but much more often for worse. The tyrranically-inclined may start by going after unappealing characters that the rest of us feel deserve their ill treatment; but before you can say "that's a nice little passport/bank account/social media platform you've got there, too bad if something happened to it," the tyrant is cracking down on Black Lives Matter, Code Pink, and anyone else who tries to resist.

If we don't demand that tryants follow the law even when that seems to protect wrongdoers, the law will cease to be followed even when it protects us.

[Lifeafter70]

12. This is legislation from 1996

The reason it was put in place was because a lot of non-custodial parents would move to states that had more favorable laws in regards to collecting child support (like red states).
I supported this legislation in the 90's and still support it. We needed legislation regarding collection of child support that was uniform in all 50 states.

[snot]

13. To make sure I understand,

you mean that there is a federal law permitting federal passports to be yanked for nonpayment of child support?

If so, I'm glad.

[Lifeafter70]

14. Yes it is the legislation the op is talking about

It was passed in 1996 during the Clinton presidency. I wrote many letters and made calls supporting it.
It made it easier for custodial parents to enforce child support orders when non-custodial parents moved from state to state to avoid paying child support. You have to really be in arrears to trigger losing your passport.
I think it is the government using social services to find those that are in arrears is what they are objecting to.

[Orrex]

22. It seems likely that they'd extend such debt to include student loan payments

and, eventually, to any debt at all. It's not hard to imagine Trump and a like-"minded" GOP turning the entire nation into an open-air debtor's prison.

"Missed your cellphone payment last month? Good luck visiting Niagara Falls."

[Lifeafter70]

24. They could, I'm sure there are a few laws they could use that way

They have used social services to track parents who are in arrears in some states for years.
I'm not a lawyer, but I would think they would need to go back to congress and amend it.
But hey this is trump since when has he done anything legally. I do believe he is not that smart. If they try to subvert what was good legislation, someone else is behind it

[onenote]

15. Thanks to the DUers who explained this relates to deadbeat dads.

Hopefully those who misunderstood and jumped to the conclusion that went beyond non-payment of child support will amend their posts.

[johnnyplankton]

16. I'm sorry. If you can't support your children, maybe you shouldn't be taking trips out of country for vacations...

[bucolic_frolic]

18. Trump is the NANNY STATE!!

GOP is using the power of government to run everything in citizens' lives.

[kimbutgar]

19. This will affect the magaloons a lot of them are deadbeat parents.

This is so stupid !

[quakerboy]

20. This seems likely to tick off the MAGA base

I somehow feel like there are probably more maga on the unpaid child support rolls than anyone else.

[Karma13612]

21. Although

It would probably get more deadbeats to pay, it would limit their ability to vote if they try to register without proof of citizenship (like a passport).

Our documents that prove we are citizens should not be in jeopardy unless we engage in acts of treason.

I’m sorry, but that’s the bottom line.

PS-if the law is only meant to limit non-work foreign travel, then fine. But if you revoke documents needed to vote or to work, that’s unacceptable.

[Blackjackdavey]

23. I don't believe for even one moment

that this story is the WHOLE story. No way whatsoever that this administration will begin yanking passports from their base or their donors. So, it will be selective, with no doubt whatsoever, and this story probably broke because they have someone specifically in mind for this form of retribution right now.