American Adoptees Living in Fear of Deportation to Forgotten Countries of Origin

One adoptee was just a year old when she was taken in by a US family during 1966.

Born in South Korea, her biological father served of the US armed forces, who returned home soon after Shirley was born.

"He left us behind, is the nicest way I can express it," states Shirley, now 61.

Approximately one year later, Shirley was welcomed into the home of a American pair, who took her back to the Lone Star State.

An American Upbringing

Shirley grew up living a life similar to that of many young Americans.

"I moved and breathed and got in trouble like many American teenagers of the 80s. I'm a child of the 80s," Shirley says.

Shirley had children, entered matrimony and worked as a piano teacher.

Life carried on for decades with little cause to doubt her US citizenship.

However in 2012, her life was turned upside down.

Discovering Non-Citizen Status

She lost her government identification and required a new one.

However when she went to her government agency, Shirley was told she had to demonstrate her status in the country.

"I had a little mental breakdown upon discovering I lacked citizenship," she explains.

A Common Issue

This situation isn't unique. Approximations of how many US adopted individuals are without citizenship vary between thousands to tens of thousands.

Dozens adopted individuals have been deported to their countries of birth in recent years, according to advocacy groups.

Additional Account

Another woman, who requested anonymity for fear of attracting the attention of government officials, was adopted by an US pair from the Middle East in 1973 when she was just a toddler.

"I settled into my life, always understanding that I was a US national. That's what I was told. I still believe that today," she says.

Legal Background

Over many years, international adoptions authorized through courts and government agencies did not assure US citizenship.

The Child Citizenship Act of 2000 made some headway in rectifying this, providing immediate citizenship to children adopted from abroad.

Current Fears

These concerns for adopted individuals and their relatives have increased substantially following recent political changes.

Adoptee rights groups say they have been overwhelmed by requests for help and certain individuals have gone into hiding.

"Following political outcomes came in, it began increasing significantly with pleas for assistance," noted a legal professional specializing in adoptee cases.

Lacking National Identity

"At the end of the day, they don't care about your back story. They don't care that your presence is lawful and it's merely documentation issues," she said.

"I frequently explain that one document of paper has fundamentally damaged my life," she stated.

"From my perspective currently, I feel without a country."

Potential Solution

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

"This ought to be a straightforward fix: children through adoption should be treated the same as their natural brothers and sisters of parents who were US citizens at the time of birth," commented an attorney.

Final Plea

Shirley wishes she could meet with national leaders for a discussion, so she and similar individuals could share their experiences.

"I would ask him to please have some compassion. We aren't undocumented immigrants," she said.

"We were put on planes as little itty-bitty babies. Just please hear our story and honor with the promise that the United States made to every of the children that got on those planes: US nationality."