American Adoptees Facing Anxiety of Deportation to Unfamiliar Homelands

One adoptee was just a year old when she was taken in by a American couple back in 1966.

Hailing from South Korea, her birth father was a member of the American military, who returned home shortly after Shirley was born.

"He abandoned us, is the nicest way I can express it," states Shirley, currently in her sixties.

After around a year, Shirley was adopted by a US couple, who took her back to Texas.

An American Upbringing

She was raised living a life similar to those of most young Americans.

"I lived and breathed and got in trouble similar to other teenage Americans of the 80s. I'm a child of the 80s," Shirley recalls.

Shirley had children, entered matrimony and became a music instructor.

Life carried on for decades with no reason to doubt her US citizenship.

However in 2012, her world came crashing down.

Discovering Non-Citizen Status

She misplaced her Social Security card and needed a replacement.

However when she visited her local Social Security office, Shirley was told she had to demonstrate her legal standing in the country.

"I had a little mental breakdown after finding out I lacked citizenship," she explains.

Widespread Problem

Shirley is not alone. Estimates of how many US adopted individuals are without citizenship range from 18,000 to 75,000.

Dozens adopted individuals have been removed to their countries of birth in recent years, as reported by advocacy groups.

Additional Account

A different individual, who requested anonymity for fear of drawing notice of government officials, was adopted by an US pair from the Middle East in 1973 when she was two years old.

"I adapted to my life, always understanding that I was a US national. That was what I learned. I continue to feel that today," she says.

Historical Context

For decades, international adoptions authorized through courts and government agencies did not assure US citizenship.

The Children's Citizenship Law of 2000 created progress in addressing this issue, granting automatic citizenship to international adoptees.

Present Concerns

These concerns for adoptees and their families have increased substantially following recent political changes.

Advocacy organizations say they have been flooded with requests for help and certain individuals have disappeared from public view.

"Following political outcomes were announced, it began increasing significantly with requests for help," noted a legal professional working with adoption law.

Stateless Feeling

"Ultimately, they don't care about your personal history. They're not interested that your presence is lawful and it's just a paperwork error," she said.

"I always tell people that one document of paper has fundamentally damaged my life," she said.

"As far as I'm concerned currently, I feel stateless."

Potential Solution

Despite adoptees being in legal uncertainty for decades, attorneys believe it is simply a matter of political will that should unite people from all political parties.

"This ought to be an uncomplicated solution: adopted children should be treated the same as their biological siblings of parents who were US citizens at the time of birth," said a legal advocate.

Last Appeal

The adoptee hopes she could meet with national leaders for a discussion, so she and similar individuals could explain their stories.

"I would ask him to show understanding. We aren't undocumented immigrants," she said.

"We were put on planes as infants and young children. Please listen to our accounts and please follow through with the commitment that the United States made to every of the babies that were brought here: American citizenship."