For many American adoptees, the fear of being deported to a homeland they have never known has become a haunting reality. Estimates suggest that between 18,000 and 75,000 adoptees may lack U.S. citizenship, with some unaware of their vulnerable status.
Shirley Chung, who was adopted from South Korea at the age of one in 1966, is among those grappling with this distressing issue. Following a lost Social Security card in 2012, Shirley learned she was not a U.S. citizen, prompting a painful identity crisis and a sense of statelessness.
Her experience reflects a troubling trend where intercountry adoptions did not automatically guarantee citizenship, leaving many in a state of legal limbo. The Child Citizenship Act of 2000 aimed to amend this, but it only applies to future adoptees and those born after February 1983.
As immigration policies become stricter, especially under the current political climate, the threat of deportation looms larger. Adoptee rights advocates report a surge in requests for assistance, with individuals fearing for their safety and stability.
Shirley, along with other adoptees, calls upon lawmakers to ensure they receive the citizenship rights they were promised when brought to the U.S. as children. They urge compassion and recognition of their unique circumstances, emphasizing that they are not illegal aliens but rather individuals who were taken away from their birth countries as infants.
This complex issue highlights the intersection of immigration policy and personal identity, making it an urgent topic for discussion and reform.
