Did you know that thousands of our fellow Americans, adopted internationally as infants and children by American citizens, are being denied US citizenship? Americans adopted them. They attended American schools. They have identified as Americans for all the significant milestones that guide our lives. However, most impacted adoptees had no idea they were not legal citizens until something triggered concern about their status in our institution’s systems.
Why is Adoptee Citizenship in Crisis?
International adoptees who came to the US before 2001 were eligible for US citizenship, but the Certificate of Citizenship was not automatically issued as it is now. The responsibility to apply for the Certificate of Citizenship rested on the shoulders of adoptive parents and adoption agencies. For various reasons (not understanding the importance, procrastination, staff changes, the general business of life, etc.), some adoptive parents and agencies did not apply for this all-important certificate that gave their child the benefits of citizenship they expected when they adopted. Now, we have thousands of adult adoptees applying for driver’s licenses, passports, financial aid for higher learning, replacement social security cards, or retirement benefits. Instead of the documents or resources they expected, they get the frightening and unsettling news that they are not legal citizens
This gap in international adoption and immigration law has lingered far too long and is an utter travesty! The Adoptee Citizenship Act is the proposed bill that would close these loopholes and rectify these gaps. It was first introduced to the 114th Congress (which was in session from 2015 to 2017!). Though it experienced robust support throughout the following years, it has yet to become law. America can do better for these adoptees. We must do better for them.
Who Is Impacted?
We don’t know how many adult adoptees do not have legal citizenship, but some estimates are as high as 45,000*. Understandably, many may not be aware that they are not legal citizens. Still, many others may be afraid to come forward and seek help in today’s climate. Regardless of the exact number, even a few are way too many.
These adoptees are your neighbors. Friends and parents of your children’s friends. Business owners. Volunteers in local organizations. Leaders in your community. They are part of the fabric that makes our communities robust and beautiful. They are real people who are living as undocumented aliens in the country that welcomed them with open arms at adoption. These adoptees risk losing their whole lives as they know them if they discover their citizenship is in question. They may lose their jobs and cannot travel outside of the US. These Americans cannot vote. They are ineligible for social security and other citizen benefits even though they have contributed all their lives.
Most importantly, they live with the fear of deportation to countries they left as infants or children. They would have no support network, usually no known family, or language skills in those nations. They would have no means of supporting themselves. And none of this is their fault!
Who are the adoptees without citizenship?
Read some of the stories of adoptees impacted by this crisis.
When she was sixteen years old, KJ sought a driver’s license and discovered she was not a US citizen. KJ received confusing information from her local USCIS office, leading her to believe she was only eligible to receive a permanent resident card, and should apply for citizenship once she turned eighteen. Not understanding the implications for her future and lacking adult support, KJ did not take the citizenship test.
… When KJ was 30, immigration enforcement officials announced that they would pursue KJ’s deportation to India. At that time, the Indian government refused to accept KJ, stating that it was a human rights violation to deport an adoptee who was legally adopted as a child by a US citizen parent. KJ was left stateless, in limbo.
~ KJ’s story
You can find other stories here and here. Then consider how you can act on their behalf today.
These adoptees did nothing wrong; they made no mistakes; they don’t deserve this. America can do better for these adoptees. We must do better for them.
Strengthening and Supporting Your Transracial Adoptee
How Did We Get Here?
How our country is (and has been) handling this crisis of international adoptees without legal citizenship is particularly troubling to our organization. For the last 17 years, we have been educating and supporting people trying to adopt. Adoption is an excellent way to create your family, and our adopted children deserve the love and safety that every child deserves. We support the professionals whose life work is to help kids find that love because we all believe that family is more than DNA!
However, we are not treating our children by adoption the same as we would treat a child born to us. Children born to us are automatically citizens with all the rights and protection of citizenship from birth. In these adoptees’ circumstances, many parents thought they had filed the necessary paperwork to secure their children’s citizenship. Maybe even more often, parents forgot to follow through with this paperwork.
The Child Citizenship Act (CCA) of 2001
Before the passage of the Child Citizenship Act (CCA) in 2001, the burden (and cost) was on adopted parents to submit for and obtain their newly adopted child’s Certificate of Citizenship. The CCA changed that, issuing citizenship automatically for internationally adopted children without the added step of filing for a Certificate of Citizenship. However, the CCA specifically excluded international adoptees who were 18 or older when it became law on February 27, 2001.
We all know what life is like in the early days and months after a newly adopted child joins our homes. We are helping our kids settle in and adjust. Growing pains can be consuming as we navigate our new normal. We’ve just endured many months (even years) of paperwork, training, and other preparation. You may have misfiled or lost crucial documents. Families lose touch with agencies or case workers. Agencies close, and social workers leave their roles.
Parents before the CCA made the same mistakes. They had the same challenges with new children and life after adoption. The difference is that now, these adoptees are adults and held accountable for mistakes they did not commit. We shouldn’t continue punishing (adult) children for their parents’ mistakes.
America can do better for these adoptees. We must do better for them.
What You Can Do Right Now
If you are as shocked and outraged by this crisis as we are, you can do several things today to make a difference. Time is of the essence, and we can no longer let our fellow Americans linger in limbo.
As we mentioned, the Adoptee Citizenship Act was first introduced in 2015 to grant retroactive US citizenship to all international adoptees regardless of when they were adopted. This proposed act will close the loopholes that left thousands of adoptees who were born before 1982 unprotected by the Child Citizenship Act (CCA).
1. Call your representatives.
You can, of course, call any representative, but you will be most effective by contacting legislators who represent you directly.
- To find the contact info for your senator, click on your state here.
- To find your representative’s contact information, enter your zip code here.
- You can also call the US Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask for your senator or representative’s office.
In your emails or phone calls, ask the representative to support the Adoptee Citizenship Act and invite other representatives to join them. Adoptees for Justice offers quick access links and sample scripts, making the process easy and fast!
2. Sign the petition.
You can sign this online petition (the yellow button at the top of the site) to signal your support for the Adoptee Citizen Act. Share the link to the petition widely and ask others to do the same.
3. Spread the word!
Please share this article, links from the sites and articles linked within this story, and the social media posts from the Adoptee Rights Campaign, Adoptees for Justice, and their partner organizations. Use these hashtags:
- #CitizenshipforAllAdoptees
- #AdopteesforJustice
- #AdopteeCitizenshipAct
Thank you for being part of the movement to do better for these adoptees.
Image Credits: @nhorphai (Canva); Dave H; . .(cropped)
Prior to 2001, children adopted internationally by American citizens were eligible for U.S. citizenship; however, the issuance of a Certificate of Citizenship was not automatic. The responsibility to apply for this certificate fell to adoptive parents and agencies. Due to various factors—such as lack of awareness, administrative oversights, or simple procrastination—some did not complete this crucial step. As a result, many adoptees, now adults, are discovering their lack of legal citizenship when applying for driver’s licenses, passports, or social security benefits.
Estimates suggest that up to 45,000 individuals may be affected by this oversight. These adoptees, who have lived their entire lives identifying as Americans, now face challenges including ineligibility for certain benefits, inability to vote, and the looming threat of deportation to countries they left as children. The proposed Adoptee Citizenship Act aims to address these gaps in the law, ensuring that all international adoptees receive the citizenship they were promised. Despite being introduced in previous congressional sessions, the bill has yet to become law, leaving many adoptees in a precarious legal position.