American Adoptees Face Threat of Deportation Despite Lifelong Residency

Many American adoptees now live in fear of deportation, as they often lack legal citizenship. This article explores the emotional turmoil and challenges faced by those who were adopted but may not be recognized as citizens.

In the aftermath of their adoptions, numerous American adoptees live with the fear of deportation due to gaps in the legal processes that should secure their citizenship. Stories from individuals like Shirley Chung illustrate the deep impact of these bureaucratic failures, compounded by current immigration pressures. As they navigate their identities in a nation they consider home, many find themselves in precarious situations, advocating for recognition and rights to which they were promised. This article sheds light on their journeys and the need for legislative reform to address their citizenship status.

Shirley Chung was just a year old when she was adopted by a US family in 1966.

Born in South Korea, her birthfather was a member of the American military, who returned home soon after Shirley was born. Unable to cope, her birth mother placed her in an orphanage in the South Korean capital, Seoul.

He abandoned us, is the nicest way I can put it, says Shirley, now 61. After around a year, Shirley was adopted by a US couple, who took her back to Texas.

Growing up in a life akin to many young Americans, Shirley's world turned upside down in 2012 when she discovered she lacked US citizenship while attempting to replace her lost Social Security card. I had a little mental breakdown after finding out I wasn't a citizen, she recounts.

Shirley’s experience is not unique. Estimates suggest that between 18,000 to 75,000 American adoptees lack citizenship, some are even unaware of their precarious status. Many have faced deportation, including a case where a man from South Korea, adopted as a child, took his own life after being sent back due to a criminal record.

The complexities surrounding citizenship for adoptees stem from legislative gaps. For decades, intercountry adoptions did not guarantee automatic citizenship. Although the Child Citizenship Act of 2000 aimed to rectify this, it applied only to future adoptees or those arriving after February 1983, leaving many in limbo.

As the political climate shifts under the Trump administration, fears for adoptees and their families have escalated. Reports of increased deportations have seen many adoptees concerned about their safety and legal status. This one single piece of paper has essentially just ruined my life, lamented one Iranian adoptee.

Despite their American upbringing, many adoptees are reclassified as immigrants, a status they feel estranges them from their true identities. Shifting the narrative to recognize their rights through adoption policies has been a challenge, yet advocates continue urging Congress to reform citizenship laws.

Shirley and others are hopeful for change. I would ask him [the president] to please have some compassion. We were put on planes as little itty-bitty babies. Just please hear our story and please follow through with the promise that America gave each one of the babies that got on those planes: American citizenship, she said.

}