Leah Elmquist, adopted from South Korea at a young age, finally became a U.S. citizen and obtained her passport just before her 40th birthday in 2022. Having served a decade in the Navy, she excelled in her role, but her lack of citizenship hindered her promotion opportunities. After retiring, she lived with the anxiety of possibly being deported.
Numerous children adopted from abroad continue to face challenges in obtaining U.S. citizenship due to legal oversights. Although Congress has recognized these gaps, no action has been taken to amend them. Many of these “undocumented children” were adopted decades ago by military families, and they now find themselves at risk of deportation, with some already having faced expulsion.
An investigation by the Associated Press reveals that the number of these overseas adopted children ranges between 15,000 and 75,000, primarily from countries like Korea, Ethiopia, and Romania, among others. They hold adoption documents signed by judges and stamped by government authorities, which affirm their eligibility for all privileges of American children. However, their adoption did not automatically grant them U.S. citizenship.
As these individuals reach adulthood and attempt to acquire passports, driver’s licenses, seek employment, or apply for government benefits, they are confronted with the shocking realization that they are not American citizens. This situation plunges their lives into chaos, especially when the government announces efforts to crack down on undocumented immigrants, leaving them fearful of being reported.
In response, they have initiated the “Adoptee Rights Campaign,” garnering support from the Southern Baptist Convention and liberal immigration advocates. Many share a deep sense of frustration and confusion over the government’s prolonged inaction.
The international adoption landscape flourished in the 1950s due to the Korean War, as there was a significant demand for infants in the U.S., while Korea aimed to reduce its population. Governments, eager to please the U.S., expedited the adoption process, often overlooking the necessary steps to ensure that adoptees received citizenship. Some children entered the U.S. on tourist or medical visas.
In 2000, Congress acknowledged that adoptees were trapped in a legal limbo. With nearly 20,000 children adopted each year, the absence of standardized processes to assist adoptive families prompted the passage of the Child Citizenship Act, which auto-grants citizenship to adopted children. However, this law only applies to those under 18, meaning anyone born before February 27, 1983, is excluded.
Bipartisan support exists for rescuing children through adoption, with many churches promoting international adoption as a biblical calling. However, Hannah Daniel, Public Policy Director for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, has participated in advocating for ten years for legislation to expand citizenship to all children legally adopted by American parents, yet has seen no results. In the politically charged environment where both parties are entangled in disputes over immigration issues, any proposed pathways to citizenship have stalled.
